Fallen
by Onyx Claws
Summary: When Draco Malfoy gets killed, he's offered a second chance. Will it be worth it? Slash:(eventual) HPDM
1. A prologue of sorts

**_Summary- When Draco Malfoy gets killed, he's offered a second chance. Will it be worth it?_**

**_Warning- Contains (eventual) slash, swearing, violence. Rated M_**

**_Genre- Romance (there isn't a second genre because it contains a bit of everything-supernatural, spiritual, angst, hurt/comfort and probably more that I've forgotten about)  
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**_Disclaimer- I own nothing except the bad spelling mistakes (No matter how many times I check it, there's always some -.-)_**

**_Note- When Voldemort tries to kill Harry as a baby, all that happens is he becomes injured. When my fiction begins, he's in hiding and building up his strength as well as his followers.  
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**_AN- So here's a second attempt at a FanFiction from me. I'll try to post a chapter at least once a week, but can't make any promises. I hope you like reading this as much as I liked writing it. There's a few point of view changes but I tried to make it easy to follow. If I failed, please let me know. So...here goes chapter 1..._**

...

He stood staring at the family of blondes, the pure joy he was feeling masked by the cold sneer on his face.

"Lucius, so good of you to bring young Draco to our meeting. He will make a valuable member of our society."

Looking around the forgotten graveyard, his joy lessened some. Only a handful of his loyal Death Eaters had made it to the gathering. The others had either been killed or had abandoned him. He'd have to start recruiting the younger generation, moulding them to his will before they could begin to think for themselves. He turned back to the eldest Malfoy, his most trusted minion.

"Is Draco ready and willing to take the mark?"

Lucius stuttered, his eyes growing wide. The Death Eaters surrounding him began to whisper amongst themselves. Never had someone so young been offered the mark. It usually took years of dedicated service for the Dark Lord to even think about marking someone.

Quickly regaining his legendary composure, Lucius rushed to reply. "I am certain he is ready. Of his will, I am-I…I cannot be sure." He ducked his head, expecting punishment.

Voldemort cocked his head towards Draco Malfoy. He would punish Lucius, but not in front of his son. Torturing somebody's father in front of them was not a good way of gaining a loyal follower. He had found that out the hard way.

"Young master Draco, so much like your father. Wouldn't you love to follow in his footsteps? Come and join me, join us."

Draco looked up, refusing to meet the blood red gaze of the one man he despised most in this world.

Voldemort's eyes filled with shock as he watched the flickering of different emotions flutter across the ten year old's face. Not only did he look like his father, with his ghostly pale complexion, platinum blonde hair and pretty features, he also displayed the cold fury he had only ever seen in the elder Malfoy.

"I thank you, Lord Voldemort, for your kind offer, but I'd rather not." Sarcasm dripped from his every word, complimented perfectly by the smirk gracing his features. Nobody noticed the slight shake in his hands.

Voldemort stared at him. He wasn't used to refusal, and wasn't sure how to take it. "Excuse me?"

"I hate you. You have brought shame to our family. You torture your own people. Nothing you have ever done has ever ended well. I'd rather die than stand by your side." The young boy ducked, taking a side-step in the process. His father's well aimed smack to his face had missed him by inches. Unfortunately, by dodging his father, Draco had stepped closer to his mother. Her hit landed square across his small cheek, turning the pale skin an angry red. The unnaturally long nail of her index finger swiped across his open right eye, slitting it open.

Crying out in pain, Draco clutched his now useless eye with his hands and ran towards the one man he knew would never beat him.

Severus Snape welcomed the young boy with his wand, immediately healing his eye. He sighed; Draco would never see out of it again, but at least it wasn't dripping down his face.

Voldemort screamed in anger. How dare that Malfoy bastard talk to him like that?

"You little shit. Have it your own way then! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The pale body of a ten year old Draco Malfoy collapsed to the ground while his murderer laughed. He died before his head even hit the hard gravel of the cemetery.

...

Harry Potter silently screamed in his sleep, halfway through a vision into the mind of the Dark Lord Voldemort.

_I pointed my wand at the boy. If he wanted to die, so be it._

_Forcing power into my voice, I shouted. "You little shit. Have it your own way then! AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_Cackling, I watched as the youngest Malfoy crumpled, lifeless. Serves him right._

_I crucio-ed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy for raising such a bastard kid and then a second time, just for the sake of it. I decided to ignore Severus as he gathered the brat in his arms, weeping silently as the white wisp of smoke passed the now blue lips. The sign of a wizard's soul leaving its body always brings a smile to my face. I watched it out of the corner of my eye as it curled up to the heavens._

_I kept watching it until it was out of sight and then just stared at the place it had been, contemplating plans on how to more successfully recruit people. Just as I started to prepare to apparate home, something appeared in the sky. Everyone was staring at it, wondering what was going on._

_Suddenly it plummeted, crashing towards the earth at a colossal speed. My Death Eaters scattered, forming a loose circle around where we could see the object would land._

_It impacted with a deafening thud, having fallen from an unimaginable height._

_When the cloud of dust cleared, I could see that the object had left a huge crater in the ground. Coughing and clutching his chest, Draco Malfoy emerged. Protruding from the shoulder blades of the boy were two huge, gray-white wings._

_The dead boy walked to Severus, eyes locked on his own corpse. He took the body from the black haired man and effortlessly hung it over his shoulder. He pointed his wand at Severus, cast an Imperius and forced the potion's master to apparate him away._

_I blinked in shock, un-able to move. What the fuck had just happened? I threw several curses around the place, forcing the remaining Death Eaters to flee for their lives. Of one thing I was certain; Draco Malfoy would pay. How dare he live after I killed him?_

Harry woke up panting, the vision leaving his mind as quickly as it had entered. He collapsed in exhaustion. His sleep was haunted by memories of what he thought was a bad dream. He had no reason to think differently, considering he had no knowledge of the magical world around him, or of who the dark wizard was.

...

Draco Malfoy felt the spell before it even made contact. He felt the killing curse fulfil its job as he tumbled towards the floor. He knew he was dead, yet he was still strangely aware of his surroundings.

After a moment he realised he was floating. He felt completely weightless, as if the invisible cord linking him to the earth had been cut. Curling around on himself he looked towards the ground and saw himself clutched against his Uncle Sev's chest. Realisation hit him and he finally understood; that was his dead body, and he was his soul, journeying towards heaven.

The thought comforted him slightly. He hated the fact that he was dead, but at least he wasn't going to hell.

When he was high enough that the people beneath him were mere specks, he stopped rising. Now that he was still, he could see the faint wisps of his soul curling around him. He mentally corrected himself; it was just him, curling around in the air.

Suddenly a voice filled his head (well, his mind, as he technically didn't have a head). The voice wasn't male or female, high or low. It was just…there.

"Mr. Malfoy, I see you've finally gotten yourself killed."

Draco, never one to back down from a verbal taunt, responded with bitterness. "Yeah, 'cause I asked to be killed, didn't I?"

The voice laughed, sounding way to happy considering the circumstances. "Well, yeah, you kind of did. Anyway, enough chat, more business. It seems that you're too good for hell, but not good enough for heaven. How would you like to walk the earth again?"

"What's the catch?" He'd been around businessmen and politicians enough times to know that nothing came without a catch.

"Ah, you've got a clever head on your shoulders…so to speak. The catch is you'll be an Angelus custos, a guardian angel. Also known as a Fallen. Pros; you'll be immortal, to a certain extent, you'll be a lot stronger physically, mentally and magically and finally you'll have wings that you can extend on will. Con's; you have to guard someone. If you do your job well, when they die you'll go up to heaven. If you don't do your job well, you will go to hell when they die. Meaning; if you can prevent them from injury, death and evil, do it. Also, the person you're guarding, your Tutela, carries your heart as a type of insurance. Because of this, you feel all the pain they do, giving you more motivation to protect them. One thing you should take note of; you cannot feel your own pain. You can feel everything else, but the only pain you will be aware of would be coming from your Tutela. Lastly, there's nothing I can to about your eye. Any injuries or ailments your body has at the time of your death you'll carry on having in your afterlife. Sorry about that."

Draco took several minutes to take in all he had been told. Even after the thinking time, his mind was still all over the place. "Will I be human?"

When the voice laughed this time, it was cold and mean. "No. You will be a Fallen. You will appear human, though. You will have a human-like body, but it'll be in top condition, save for your eye and a few scars you've gained here and there. I advise you to stay away from medics, considering you won't have a heart. They tend to find stuff like that kind of freaky. You may want to give your Tutela the same warning, as having two hearts is also seen as a bit dodgy. Oh yeah, the wings mark you as not human as well, although they're only there when you choose them to be. So the question is, my dear Draco; will you sacrifice your pure-blood status and become a fallen?"

Shuddering, Draco considered. From a young age he had been taught to look at business from every angle. Then again, he had also been taught that blood status was everything. "What if I refuse?"

"You'll go to hell. No way are they letting you into heaven. Even though in your last moments of life you stood up against evil, you were still a dark person for the rest of your life. The only reason you're not in hell now is because I saw something in you, something good."

Draco internally sighed; there was no way out of it. "Okay. I accept. I'll become a fallen. Now who do I have to guard?"

"Hmmm…" the voice paused for a moment as if checking something. "Next on the list is a young boy called Harry James Potter. He seems nice. Lives not too far from here, the same country anyway. I think he's about your age-"

Draco interrupted angrily. "You want me to guard Harry bloody Potter? Saviour of the world, boy who lived and all that shit? No fucking way. How the hell am I supposed to keep him safe?"

The voice answered in a somewhat bored tone. "I don't know, do I? That's up to you to figure out. Anyway, sounds like you know him, so good luck and all that. If you need any help, go to a mirror and touch it. I'll pop right into that lovely head of yours. Bye!"

With those parting words, the voice left, taking away with it whatever it was that was keeping him afloat. He gasped as he started falling, the dense mist around him gathering to build his body. Now he was whole again he could appreciate how high he was. He knew he would never survive the fall, he was miles above ground.

He did survive. He hadn't felt any pain, but he was surprised to feel he'd landed on something soft. Before getting up he individually flexed each muscle group, checking for any injuries. He had none.

Standing, he glanced over his shoulder and groaned. Wings. He'd landed on his huge, feathered, dove-gray wings. He took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself and noticed a strange feeling, like something was missing. _Oh yeah, that would be my heart then_. Clutching his chest, he walked towards his Uncle Sev, a plan forming in his head.

Keeping his eyes locked on his own dead body, he took the corpse from his godfather's arms and slung it over his shoulder, surprised at the lack of effort needed for the movement. He suppressed a shudder at the thought that he was carrying the body he had been murdered in less than half an hour ago.

Looking into Snape's eyes, he raised his wand, casting an Imperius at the older man. He forced him to apparate them both away.

When they arrived at Snape House, Draco released the dark haired man from his spell. He carefully laid down his corpse and willed his wings to retract. When satisfied, he turned pleading eyes to his godfather.

"Please cremate it-err…me. Please don't ask me to explain anything; it's safer for you to be kept in the dark."

Snape nodded carefully, silently levitating a blanket to cover the dead body on the floor. "I understand. Just…I hope you know you didn't have to cast Imperius on me. I would have helped you anyway."

Draco wrapped his arms around the only person he had ever truly cared for, and the only one to care for him. "Of course I know that! I did it for your sake; if Voldemort thinks I controlled you, he won't punish you for getting me out of there."

Wrapping his arms around Draco's narrow shoulders, Snape replied in barely a whisper. "Thank you. I suppose this is when you tell me you have to go and fulfil some duty or other?"

The fallen pulled away, quickly wiping at his tears. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I have to. I love you and wish that you were my father, but sadly that's not the case."

Severus smiled gently. "Unfortunately it isn't. I love you too, and I have always thought of you as my son. If there is anything I can ever do for you, never hesitate to ask."

Turning to leave, Draco stopped just before he left the room.

"There is one thing. Do you happen to know where Harry Potter lives?"

...

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	2. Meetings and discoveries

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter one.**_

_**AN- Yay! It took me under a week to get this up! I am the most unorganised person ever, so I'm feeling rather proud of this mini-achievement. Anyway, thanks to all my gorgeous reviewers for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter. So…on with the show…**_

…

Draco let go of his godfather's hand to stare around the overgrown garden in disgust.

"This is the back garden of Arabella Figg, a squib assigned by Dumbledore to look out for Potter. This is as far as I can take you without knowing what has happened to you." Snape leaned down and kissed the blonde's cheek. "Good luck. If you need me, write or fire call. If you don't, I'll see you three weeks before the start of the school year to go to Diagon Alley for your Hogwarts supplies. Goodbye, Draco."

Draco stood for a moment before nodding, signalling that his godfather could leave. Snape smiled back, one of those private smiles that were so rare for anyone but Draco. He made a quick turn to apparate away but halted himself.

"Sorry I nearly forgot. As you probably already know, when you…fell, you were dressed in some sort of tunic. I trust you'll be able to get hold of some more clothes?"

Draco looked down at himself. His godfather was right. He was dressed in a knee-length white tunic belted with a thick silver rope. The neck-line of the tunic was cut into a wide square, barely hanging on his shoulders. Trimming the neck-line, the three-quarter length sleeves and the bottom edge around his knees was heavy silver stitching. Draco blinked in surprise; it was the first time he'd noticed the strange clothing. He rolled his eyes at his dirty feet. _Since when was I barefooted?_

After waiting for his godson to look back up at him, Snape continued. "I think you'll be needing this?" He pulled ten inches of hawthorn from his robe pocket. Draco, instantly recognising his wand, snatched it from the air as it was tossed to him. "I took the liberty of taking off the underage tracking spell. You should be able to use it without a letter from the Ministry. Goodbye." He apparated away unwillingly but knew if he didn't leave, he never would.

Ignoring the sudden chill in the air, the youngest Malfoy walked around to the front of the house and knocked twice on the door.

An elderly lady answered. She stared at Draco for a moment before screeching and slamming the door in his face.

Sighing, the blonde fought the urge to blow the door open and instead knocked again. This time, when the door was timidly opened, he wedged his foot in the gap. She slammed the door again, but gave up hope of him leaving as he showed no sign of moving his foot, even after getting it shut in the door.

Marvelled at the high pain tolerance of the young Malfoy, she opened the door wide and gestured wildly for him to come in before sticking her head out the door to look up and down the road. When she was satisfied that none of her nosey neighbours had seen her unwanted visitor, she closed the door, leading Draco through to a small kitchen. Draco shuddered at the overwhelming smell of cats.

She sat down and drew a cup of tea towards herself, taking a large gulp before speaking. "Mr. Malfoy. What brings you here?"

Draco took the seat across the table from her without being asked. He knew it was rude, but it had been rude of her not to offer the seat.

"Are you Arabella Figg?"

Arabella nodded, tucking a fly-away lock of gray hair into her hair net.

"I'm here to…check up on Potter. How is he?"

Her face fell as she answered. "I don't know. I hardly ever see him. When Dumbledore asks me to report on his wellbeing I go to his house and ask his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I report what they tell me. I'm worried about him though. I don't think the Dursley's, his family, are telling me the truth. Whenever I do see him, he's always doing one chore or another, and there're usually fresh bruises on his skin. He's way too thin to be healthy."

Draco had heard enough. He would check on Potter himself. "Thank you, Mrs. Figg. Which house does he live in?"

Arabella stared at him for a moment, as if trying to read his mind. "Tell me why you care first. Your family is dark, you should hate him. I don't want him hurt by your lot."

"My family is dark but I have turned light. I care because I've got no choice. I turned away from 'my lot' when I died. Satisfied?" He answered, his voice full of cold bitterness.

She nodded her head towards the door, not letting any emotion show on her face. She silently cursed whatever evil could turn a ten year old boy so cold. "Number four. You can stay here tonight. It's late. They're all probably asleep. I trust the sofa will be okay."

…

The next morning Draco quickly thanked Arabella for her hospitality and smiled when she offered him a warm robe. When he tried to thank her for it, she pushed him out the door with a smile on her face, saying she couldn't let her guest freeze.

So dressed in his tunic, his borrowed robe and a conjured pair of ankle-high leather boots, he headed across the road. He made it halfway to his destination when something invisible crashed into his jaw and then into his ribs, as if he'd been thrown into something. He cried out in pain. Pain? _I can only feel his pain._ He broke into a run, ignoring the burning in his side. He ran through the neat little garden and up the path, gravel flying from under his feet. As soon as he reached the door he pounded his fist into the hard wood.

A large, sweaty man that looked extraordinarily like a walrus opened the door. _That must be Vernon, then_. He paled as he saw Draco, taking in his wizard's robes. He bellowed over his shoulder, coursing a thin, horse-faced woman to come rushing. _And here comes Petunia._

"I told you they'd come eventually! It's for him; it's one of those freaks!"

Draco turned eyes on the man that were filled with a cold fury that had made even Voldemort blink in surprise. "How dare you talk about me like that? Move, before I make you move."

The walrus turned an angry red, but moved aside when Draco stepped forward, wand raised.

The young Malfoy strode through the house as if he owned the place, following an invisible pull until he stood outside a small door that led under the stairs.

He looked to Vernon and Petunia before cocking his head towards the living room. They got the hint and disappeared into the room, but not before shooting a few glares in his direction.

Pressing his ear against the rough wooden door he closed his eyes, trying to hear any sound of life.

"Harry Potter, are you in there?" He opened his eyes as he heard a small whimper and saw the many heavy bolts keeping the door shut. Frowning in confusion he unlocked the door.

"Harry, I'm going to open the door, okay? I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you." He tried to put as much warmth as he could into his voice but he could still sense that the boy on the other side of the door was terrified.

He slowly twisted the handle and gasped. What he saw made his blood run cold. Huddled into a corner of the cupboard under the stairs was a small boy, wedged between a tiny cot-bed and the peeling wall. He was shaking in fright and sobbing quietly. His bare arms were covered in the yellow-green of old bruises and a deep purple mark was just visible where his baggy sleeve rode up his arm. Draco could see a shock of jet black hair, but his face was hidden where it was buried in his hands.

"Hey there. Can you come and talk to me? I want to help you, but I can't do that if you're hiding in the dark." He looked around to try and find a light switch (his uncle Sev, being half-blood, had made sure he knew about muggle basics) but he couldn't find one.

Slowly the boy stood, bowing his head at Draco. "Are you really here to help me, sir?" he spoke in barely a whisper, as if scared of someone over-hearing.

Draco blinked in shock. "Yes I am. And please call me Draco, or at least Malfoy."

Harry nodded, his head still bowed, not looking at his visitor. He wanted to believe this stranger but nobody had helped him before; why would things change now?

The Fallen rested a gentle hand on the smaller boys shoulder and motioned for him to head into the living room. He was expecting it when Harry flinched away from his contact, he had been around abused children all his life (it was rare to find a Death Eater who was also a good parent) but it still broke something inside of him.

Harry paled as he saw his Aunt and Uncle already there. He gave up all hope of being saved. The kind stranger would never believe him over adults.

Draco saw that Vernon was sitting in an armchair that had sunk under his weight while Petunia was perched on a footrest which she had moved to his side. The blonde took one end of the uncomfortable but large green love-seat that was directly in front of them, expecting Harry to sit beside him. Instead the smaller boy stood in the corner, looking scared and uncomfortable.

Sighing, Draco patted the space next to him. Harry's eyes lit up as he sat down, smiling at the blonde. His smile faltered as he got his first good look at him. _I swear I've seen him before?_

Draco's heart broke (well it would of if he still had possession of it) at how Harry looked so overjoyed at such a small act of kindness. He raised his eyebrow towards the brunette in question of his smile slipping but it went ignored.

He looked around the room for a moment, registering all the different muggle things and technology. Most of it he knew and the stuff he didn't recognise wasn't too hard to work out. He grimaced. The whole room seemed too…neat. He was all for tidiness, but it didn't feel like a home. There weren't any personal items scattered around, only a few pictures of a fat blonde boy.

"Can I call you Harry? Or would you prefer Potter?"

Harry would have let the stranger call him anything, as long as it wasn't freak.

"Harry's fine, sir-err…Draco."

Although he was still young, Draco was very mature and extremely clever for his age. Being raised around violence and evil had made him grow up fast. His father had done everything he could to train Draco to be the perfect follower of Lord Voldemort. He had been practising dark magic before he could walk. He was intelligent in other departments as well. His mother had taught him about all the arts; making sure he could play several instruments as well as being able to appreciate art, although most of that knowledge was basic pureblood tradition. So with all his knowledge and a maturity beyond his years, Draco could tell two things. One, Harry was an abused child who desperately needed help. The second was that Harry was beautiful.

He didn't mean physically, although he definitely wasn't ugly. He meant his soul. He could see right into the other boy's soul through those huge jade eyes, reading his every emotion. It was truly beautiful, especially for someone who had gone through so much.

"Harry, tell me please, what happened to your jaw? And your side?" Draco could still feel the dull ache, so he knew Harry could.

Vernon stood up and raised his fist to Harry, swinging it down to strike his nephew. "You little bastard! You ratted me out, didn't you, boy?"

The force of Draco's rage was explosive. He quickly but elegantly stood, putting himself between Vernon and Harry, his wings ripping from his shoulders. The dove-gray spread across the width of the sofa, completely shielding the boy behind him. His featured became sharper and darker, his lips pulling back to bare his teeth as he let out an almost animalistic snarl. He snatched the fist as it flew towards his head and snapped it back hard enough for the older man's eyes to water. He threw the man away from him, watching as he sprawled onto the floor.

"You did it, didn't you? You disgusting muggle, how dare you? How dare you hit him and then raise your hand to him in front of his fucking guardian? You're lucky I don't rip you to shreds." He never once raised his voice. His ability to make people cower with no more than a whisper was something he had proudly inherited from his father.

He folded his wings behind him before carefully retracted them. Sitting down, he turned to face Harry, all his anger turned to gentle kindness. He placed his hand over the dark bruise where Harry had been hit. He took out his wand and cast a quick healing spell, immediately feeling the pain disappear. A second one on his ribs was cast in quick succession. He knew he wasn't supposed to use magic in front of muggles, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

The Dursley's fell silent at this open display of magic. Harry gasped, his eyes growing wide as he backed away from the Fallen.

He glanced to his uncle before quietly whispering. "M-m…magic's bad. You shouldn't do that."

Draco was concentrating on his wand, making sure the tracking spell was completely disabled. Satisfied, he turned back to Harry.

"Sorry, what was that?" he startled at the terrified look on Harry's face and the growing fury on his relatives'.

"Only freaks can do magic. It's bad. You shouldn't do it."

"Harry, I've got a feeling your relatives have been keeping a few things from you. Is there anywhere we can go and talk in private?" Draco was shocked. Surely Harry knew about magic?

Vernon opened his mouth, no doubt about to spout some bullshit, but Petunia beat him to it.

"Use Dudley's spare room. He's out at the moment. Just don't touch anything" She sent her husband a look, silently telling him not to anger the young wizard.

Draco stood and offered Harry his hand, helping him stand. Harry took it hesitantly then led the way up the stairs to the room.

…

"So Harry, do you understand?"

Draco had spent the last few hours telling Harry about everything he could think of to do with the wizarding world. He had told him about his parents, the war between light and dark and answered any questions. He had been surprised to find that Harry was quite intelligent, soaking in his words like a sponge and asking clever questions.

"Yeah, I think so. Just…why do you want to help me?"

Sighing, Draco mentally prepared to tell the story of what had happened the day before, but in words that someone new to the magical world would understand. He shifted slightly against the headboard of the bed, being careful not to jostle Harry, who was leaning on his shoulder. Draco had found out quite early that once Harry had got over his initial fears, he was quite clingy. This was easily accepted as Draco's experiences had taught him that someone who was mistreated, especially at a young age, would either avoid people or try to be close to anyone that showed them kindness. Of the two, Draco was glad that Harry wanted to be close to him. Guarding someone that constantly avoided you wouldn't have been an easy job.

"You know the Dark Lord, Voldemort?" Harry nodded, absently tracing the crease of Draco's robes, which he had pulled over his legs for warmth when Draco had taken it off. "Well last night, he killed me." He looked to Harry for a reaction and was startled by the hatred flashing in his expressive green eyes.

"Why would he do that? You're a good person."

Draco laughed darkly. "I wasn't always a good person. I used to be bad and the Dark Lord wanted me to stay bad. But I chose to go against him instead. I wasn't impressed by the way he treated the people who did follow him. I told him I'd rather die than stand by his side, so he killed me."

Harry buried his head into Draco's shoulder, but not before the Fallen glimpsed the hatred in his eyes step up a notch. He knew that Harry was still listening, so he continued his story.

"So I died and my soul left my body. I, as in my soul, rose up towards what I guessed was heaven until I hit a certain height, then I stopped rising. A voice entered my mind and basically said I either become a guardian angel, or go to Hell. So here I am; Harry James Potter's personal guardian angel." He smiled at the brunette and squeezed his shoulder. The haunted look on the smaller boys face as he looked up made his smile turn questioning.

"I thought I recognised you! Last night, I had a nightmare. It was like I was someone else…kind of like I was getting possessed. I pointed a wand at you and shouted some weird words and you…you died. I saw some smoke leave your mouth and go up into the sky. After a while I saw something fall. The thing that landed made a crater in the earth and then you walked out of it, but you had wings. You were dressed in the same clothes you are now. Then you pointed your wand at a man with black hair and he made you both disappear. I woke up a little after that."

Harry was sobbing by now, clutching onto the front of Draco's robe which he had pulled up to his chin. Draco completely understood; Harry thought he had something to do with his death. He held the other boy and stroked his wild black hair until he calmed. While he waited he looked around the room in interest. It was packed full of broken toys and children's electronics. The bed they were sat on was pushed right into the corner of the room to make space for all the clutter. Draco absently thought that the room of requirements in Hogwarts his father had told him about would look like a bigger version of this room.

"Hush. It wasn't your fault. You had nothing to do with it. You just happened to be an unfortunate spectator." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Actually, I think it means you're linked to Voldemort somehow, nothing more sinister than that. When your mother saved you from Voldemort, you gained your scar. Maybe it's some sort of mental link between you. But that doesn't matter. Just remember that you cannot control or change what he does, so all the bad things you see him do are not your fault."

Harry let go of the robe and accepted the hanky he was offered to dry his eyes. He smiled warmly at Draco. "I'm glad you chose to come back. You're the first friend I've ever had. My cousin always made sure that no one liked me. Most of these are from him and his friends." He gestured absently at his arms, as if he thought nothing about being covered in bruises. Draco swore he'd change that attitude.

The blonde was pleased that Harry saw him as a friend. Actually, now that he had left the dark, he didn't have any friends. All his old group were determined followers of Voldemort.

"You're my only friend at the moment Harry. I'm glad I came back too. I think Hell would've sucked. So you've heard all about me, tell me about yourself."

"Since I was old enough to stand, I've been running this place. Cooking, cleaning, gardening; name it and I've done it. I always try really hard, 'cause if I don't I'll get punished and that hurts. I was brought up to think I was a freak and magic was bad, especially when I did it accidently. I live in the cupboard under the stairs, the one you found me in. that's about it." Draco wanted to kill the people that had put his Tutela through so much pain and misery. He mentally shook himself for using the voice's word for what Harry was to him.

"You didn't tell me earlier, what happened to your jaw and side? As part of this guardian angel thing, I can feel your pain and that bloody hurt."

Shuddering, Harry turned sad eyes on him. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me. Nothing really happened, my uncle just got angry for something freaky. He hit me when I said I didn't know what had happened and threw me into my cupboard. He locked the door and told me to stay quiet as he answered the door for you."

"What could possibly be freaky enough to deserve a smack across the face?"

Harry looked at him pleadingly. "Promise you won't laugh or think I'm a freak?"

Tracing a pattern on top of the brunette's tan hand, Draco replied. "I would never think you're a freak. I think you're a little weird, but that's good. Normal people are boring."

"When I woke this morning, I was coughing up blood. Petunia checked me over quickly before Vernon could stop her. She found out that I now somehow have two hearts. Of course she told Vernon straight away. He blamed it on me."

"Shit. I forgot about that. Oh, I'm so sorry Harry. You have two hearts now because you carry mine. That's how I can feel your pain." He took his hand and pressed it flat over the left side of his chest.

Unable to detect a beat, Harry gasped. "Your heart, it's-but…how is that even possible?"

Draco shrugged; how did most magic work? He scooted down the bed until he was lying down fully. The night spent at Mrs. Figg's had been uncomfortable and he had been woken by a cat every ten minutes. As a result he was exhausted. After a slight hesitation, Harry joined him, once again wrapped in the other's robe.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?"

The Fallen sat bolt upright, panicked. He couldn't go back to Malfoy Manor, his parents would kill him. Again. Snape House was out of the question, he couldn't put his Uncle Sev in danger. Everyone else he knew would turn him over to Voldemort. He couldn't even draw funds from Gringott's for a hotel because his parents would find out. Sighing, he lay back down, taking Harry's left hand in his right.

"No. I stayed across the road last night, but I certainly wasn't welcome."

Harry rolled to face him and Draco turned on his side so that he was able to see him with his good eye.

"Stay here. I want you to. If you scare Vernon enough, I'm sure he'll let you. This room is used for nothing but storage." He threaded their fingers together, a mischievous shine lightening his beautiful green eyes. Draco couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.

"You are such a Slytherin."

After a quick explanation of the Hogwarts housing system, then a not so quick description of Hogwarts, Draco followed his Tutela downstairs.

In the hallway outside the living room where both elder Dursleys were, Draco paused. He silently willed his wings to extent and turned his tunic black with a flick of his wand.

"How do I look?"

Harry smirked. "Dark, dangerous and a little mysterious; exactly what the Dursleys hate. The look suits you. Your wings are beautiful." He blushed in embarrassment.

Wanting to teach Harry that giving and receiving compliments was never something to get embarrassed over, Draco did a little twirl. "That's because I am beautiful. But thank you." He dipped into a low bow, making Harry giggle.

He walked into the living room to find that Harry's older cousin, Dudley, had joined his parents. They were quietly whispering amongst themselves but fell silent as he entered.

"I'm staying here for a bit. We'll use the spare bedroom. I will not stay in a cupboard and I will not have my Tutela in one either." He shot a dark smile around the room before turning to leave, sticking his tongue out at Harry who was snickering quietly in the doorway.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	3. Shopping and promises

**_For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1._**

**_AN- I may cry. It took over a week to upload and now I feel all guilty and miserable. To make it up to you all, I promise to try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible, hopefully no longer than five days. By the way, if anyone is willing to Beta, please inbox me of drop a notice into the comments. Anyway...hope you like it..._**

_...  
><em>

_Tap…Tap...Tap._

"Draco, is that you?" Harry managed to mumble around a yawn. He sat up bleary eyed, fumbling for his glasses.

Sitting up he looked around the room, one arm raised to shade his eyes from the harsh light streaming in through the window. His gaze fell on the single bed next to his, smiling a little at the memory of Draco banishing stuff from the small room to squeeze it in.

The blonde was now sprawled out over the bed, tangled in his sheets with his limbs turned at impossible angles. Harry's smile grew at the peaceful look on his friend's face.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Whatever was making that noise was growing impatient.

"Eugh. You can't be serious? It's morning already? I've only been asleep ten minutes." The Fallen sat up zombie-style, arms stretched out in front of him and eyes closed, his mouth pulled into a miserable pout.

_TAP. TAP. TAP._

Harry threw a pillow at his head and lay back down, ignoring the retaliating pillow that missed him by a hairs breadth.

"Fine, alright? I'll go see what the bloody bird wants, no need to get violent."

Draco rolled towards the edge of the bed, elegantly landing on his feet and avoiding crashing to the floor by seconds. Grumbling about the unfairness of mornings, he side-stepped along the small gap between the two beds and headed for the window.

"What bird?" Harry questioned as he shuffled to lean heavily against the headboard, trying to see what his Angel was doing.

"Oh, wizards send things with owls. It's more reliable and faster than your muggle post." He hauled the window open and held his hand out to the large barn owl. She dropped a bundle of parcels onto the wide sill before taking the offered perch and sticking her leg out.

Ignoring her, Draco brought the owl over for Harry to look at.

"See? The letters are tied to this leg." He pointed to where a thick wad of shrunken letters was attached to the bird's left leg. "If it's a personal owl, the family crest of the owner is tied here. For a company owl, the business logo or seal is used instead." He motioned to the right leg, holding out the little flap of velvet with a quill symbol on it. "Lastly, if there are packages the owl carries them in her claws. Big or heavy objects are usually spelled smaller."

Hesitantly, Harry held his hand out to the bird. Draco took the hand in his and held it before the owl, which hopped onto the tan wrist. Harry squealed in delight. He handed her back to Draco after stroking the soft head.

"I'm surprised she didn't nibble your fingers, they're usually after food." He smiled before turning back to the owl. "And unfortunately we don't have any." he took the letters from the owl and tossed them onto the foot of Harry's bed. They enlarged automatically as soon as they left the bird.

As he walked back to the window with the bird perched on his arm, a small toy caught his attention. Carefully he bent, picking up the squeaky mouse. He squeezed it before handing it to the owl. "I'm sure this'll be a worthy replacement of a few owl pellets?"

The owl stared at him for a moment before snatching the toy and soaring out the window.

Laughing, the blonde scooped up the parcels and dived head-first onto his Tutela's bed. He wriggled for a moment before settling comfortably on his stomach, propped up by his elbows with his head resting in his hands. He looked up at Harry, who was still sitting against the headboard and nudged his leg.

"So? What post did we get?"

Sifting through the various letters, Harry quickly put all but one of them in the space between Draco's elbows, directly under his chin.

"One for me and the rest are yours. That's strange, I've never had post before and I didn't think anyone would know you were here."

"The owl always gets it to the right person, I have no idea how, it just does." He gestured to the pile under his chin. "Read them for me? I'm the complete opposite of a morning person and I won't be able to concentrate."

Harry shot him an and-you-think-I-am look but took the pile. The blonde flipped onto his back and turned so that he was lying along the headboard with his head in the brunette's lap.

The Tutela startled for a moment but decided to ignore him. Picking up the first heavy letter, he balanced the accompanying package on his Angel's chest. He thought nothing of reading someone else's letters; his uncle usually made him read the post while he got ready for work.

"This one's from…" He glanced down at the sender's name and noticed Draco's eyes had fluttered closed. "Sev. 'Dear Draco. Sorry I forgot to give you this on your birthday but I was a little preoccupied with the night's events. I hope you like your present. Just to let you know, you now have a private vault at Gringotts. Your father cut you off from the Malfoy and Black vaults but not before I 'borrowed' some for you. It has all the money I could get without drawing you father's attention. Good luck with whatever you're doing. Again, if you need me, write or fire call. Keep 9th August free, I'll take you to Diagon Alley then. Love and good wishes, Sev.'" He broke off, looking down. He saw Draco smiling sadly and met his gaze. "That's the black haired man that brought you here, isn't it?"

Sitting up, Draco leaned against Harry's shoulder, much like the younger boy had done the day before. "Yeah, he's my godfather. The greatest man I've ever known." He brought the parcel that had previously been on his chest onto his lap, carefully tearing open the paper.

A shrunken bronze cauldron full of rare and exotic ingredients was revealed. Smiling, he put down his birthday present, reaching for the next letter in Harry's hands.

"When was your birthday?" Harry asked, handing over all of the blonde's things.

"Two days ago." Sighing, he slid a finger under the lip of an expensive envelope, recognising his father's handwriting on the front.

"Well, I would wish you a happy birthday, but considering what happened, I probably shouldn't."

The fallen nodded absently and quickly skimmed through the letter, muttering out loud. "Angry, disappointed. Disowned…oh, I can keep the name. Cut off from the vaults. Ha, must remember to thank Sev. Shame and disgrace to the family. He really does have a way with words." He set it alight with a flick of his wand before banishing the ashes.

"You don't seem very bothered?"

"Nah, hard to be bothered about people that only notice your there when they want something out of you. I think you understand all too well what I mean?"

His Tutela nodded; it seemed that both their family's treated them the same way. Taking the last letter, he nodded at the seal in recognition.

"Not important, just Gringotts, a wizard bank, letting me know about the account." He reached for the only package left and grinned as two small golden keys fell into his palm. Putting his own to the side, he held up the other, squinting to see the tiny engravings. "Huh, Gringotts somehow recognises me as your guardian." He handed Harry the key to the Potter vault. "We can go clothes shopping!" He pulled at the large gray T-shirt Harry had given him to sleep in. It reached to his mid-thighs and could easily fit a whale. Harry's shirt wasn't any better. "Of course you'll come shopping with me?"

Nodding and smiling widely, Harry read his own letter. He blinked in surprise and read it out loud so that Draco could hear.

"'Potter, I am aware that my godson is with you. I am not sure how long or for what reason he is at Little Whinging, but I trust him. I don't however trust you. Treat him well and keep him safe or I will have your guts for ingredients. S. Snape.' Wow, your godfather sounds like a scary man."

Chuckling lightly, Draco squeezed his Tutela's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll get on fine."

…

After Harry had got the breakfast ready for the Dursley's, his uncle had allowed the two wizards to go out. After all, he wanted his unwanted guest to leave and if his freak of a nephew went as well, it was a bonus.

Draco managed to transfigure Harry's second-hand clothes into something a bit more fitting and even managed to turn his own tunic into a white and silver T-shirt and black trousers.

Casting spells on the Dursley's fireplace, it was soon discovered that it wasn't linked to the floo network. They headed across the street, pleading with Mrs. Figg to let them use hers.

Harry had gone first and Draco got through just in time to catch him from falling head first onto the hearth. Choking back his laughter at the mock death-glare his Tutela sent him, he quickly explained about the pub (The Leaky Cauldron) being a place to travel between muggle and wizarding London.

The fallen led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard. Pausing, he turned to Harry.

"Do you mind if I put a glamour on you? It's like a disguise. I'd rather people didn't recognise us, considering you're extremely famous and I'm supposed to be dead." He waved his wand towards his own face to demonstrate. His elegantly sharp features softened slightly and his deathly pale skin developed a healthy tan. Shoulder length white-blonde hair turned sandy brown and retreated to just above his chin.

Harry gasped; if you didn't know what to look for, his Angel would be completely unrecognisable. He nodded, giving his consent for Draco to put a glamour on him.

Draco thought for a moment before getting to work. He altered the most known parts of Harry's features, covering his scar and turning his eyes from bright jade to a calmer, less noticeable hazel. The hair took awhile. Many powerful spells were needed to get Harry's hair to fall straight and even then it was choppy with a few strange angles. Adding some chocolate brown highlights, he smiled, pleased with his spell-work.

He conjured a mirror and opened the alleyway while Harry took in his disguise.

When both were ready, Draco took the smaller boy's hand and led him into wizarding London, smiling as the brunette stared around in awed amazement.

…

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry looked up, wondering what the taller boy wanted.

"What's your favourite colour?" Draco browsed through a rack of muggle T-shirts, several already slung over his arm.

"Erm…green and black. Why?"

In answer the blonde threw several items at him, causing Harry to duck and swerve to catch them.

"Try them all on."

…

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry stared at him questioningly.

"Which ones to you like?" The fallen gestured to the wide range of glasses on display at the opticians.

"These…" He pointed to a couple of pairs of black glasses ranging in size and frame shape.

"Good, your old ones make you look like an owl. Plus, the taped look doesn't work for anybody."

He added the glasses to a growing pile on a nearby table.

"Try them all on."

…

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" He rolled his eyes towards his Angel, already knowing what was going to happen.

Draco pushed him onto a small wooden stool, dumping half a dozen pairs of shoes on his lap. He smirked at the look Harry shot him, an evil glint in his eyes.

"Try them all on."

…

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry blinked at him in surprise; what could Draco possibly make him try on in a fast-food restaurant?

Draco picked up a chip and delicately popped it into his mouth.

"Is there anything else you want to get?"

The brunette smiled in relief while he shovelled down junk food for the first time in his life. They'd both bought several bags of clothes (muggle and wizard), a few basic necessities as well as Harry's new glasses. Smiling at the memory, he shoved the small, rectangular, black framed glasses up his nose. Looking up into the other's still silver-blue eyes, Harry asked nervously.

"Please could I…get a wand?"

Draco slapped a tan hand to his forehead and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.

"How could I forget that?"

…

At the end of Diagon Alley sat a narrow, shabby shop with peeling gold letters over the door reading 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.

Harry eyed the sign doubtfully but followed Draco inside. He trusted his Angel's judgement.

"This is the best place to get a wand. Actually, it's one of the only places left."

As they walked through the door their glamours fell. Harry started to panic but Draco took his hand reassuringly.

"If we're wearing glamours, how is he supposed to find a suitable wand?"

The Tutela nodded his understanding, but didn't let go of Draco's hand.

"Good afternoon." Said a soft voice, causing Harry to jump.

Draco chuckled and pointed into the dark corner of the shop. "He always does that, thinks it makes him more mysterious."

"Yes, yes Mr. Malfoy. Good to see one of my most profitable customers again. I take the rumours of your death are not entirely accurate." He turned to Harry, a small smile gracing his aged features. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter."

Before Harry could respond, Ollivander pulled a tape measure from his pocket.

"Hold out your wand-arm."

Harry held out his right arm and waited patiently for the old man to be finished.

Ollivander handed him several different wands and instructed him to give them a wave. Each time the wand either did nothing or emitted feeble sparks.

The pile of tried wands grew higher until Ollivander had a brainwave.

I wonder now – yes, why not – unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and subtle."

This time he felt warmth in his fingertips and as he sent it swishing through the air a trail of red and gold sparks shot from the end.

Draco squealed in delight, jumping down from where he was perched on the counter to wrap an arm around Harry.

Harry's wide smile faltered as Ollivander fixed him with a cold stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar." He pointed to Harry's forehead.

Harry blinked in surprise. Draco, seeing his Tutela's discomfort, slung an arm across his shoulders, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Is the wand…evil?" Harry asked Ollivander, putting the wand down cautiously.

The Fallen shrugged, answering for the old shop owner, who was starting to think he'd said too much. "Depends on your opinion. In my opinion, this wand wanted to make up for its brother going to such a bad person so chose you, one of the best people I know."

Ollivander quickly nodded his agreement. He'd wanted to get rid of that wand for a long time, so wanted the young wizard to buy it.

Harry nodded and smiled at his Angel. While he paid and thanked Ollivander, Draco wandered off, looking at wand handles.

A silver handle decorated with a pair of outstretched wings caught his attention. Picking it up and slotting it on his wand to try the size, he saw that it covered roughly a third of the wood. The wings wrapped around to form a hand guard when held. Running between the wings and down to the edge of the handle was a line of emeralds that shone the same intense green as Harry's eyes. He caught Ollivander's eye before looking pointedly between the holder and Harry.

Getting the hint, Ollivander crept up behind the blonde and stood to his right. Sighing, Draco took a side-step so that he was able to see the shop keeper out of the corner of his good eye. Cautious of the brunette snooping around the store, Ollivander whispered into his ear.

"Thirty galleons."

Draco nodded and dug in his pocket, feeling around for the right amount. "Pleasure doing business with you."

…

When the two wizards got back to Privet drive, Vernon was fuming.

"What time do you call this? We were expecting dinner an hour ago! For this you shouldn't expect any."

Harry nodded dejectedly. He took his shopping up into his room then went back to the kitchen. Draco trailed behind, confusion plain on his face.

In the kitchen Harry hauled a small joint of beef from the fridge, shoving it into the oven before preparing potatoes and vegetables.

"What're you doing, Harry?"

The Tutela looked up at his Angel, smiling weakly. "Cooking."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but why? And what shouldn't you be expecting?"

"Like I told you before, I run this place, cooking included. Vernon wants his dinner on the table by four O'clock on a Sunday. Because I'm late, I won't be eating."

The Fallen's eyes narrowed in disgust. Vernon would pay for everything he'd ever done to Harry. "Of course you'll eat; I'll make sure of it."

Harry glanced at him, turning to lean against the oven. "It must be a pain in the arse having to look out for me. You don't have to, I'll be alright. I had lunch so it doesn't matter."

Draco's determination grew stronger at the casual tone of Harry's voice, as if going without food was a common occurrence.

"How long have you been without before?"

Shrugging, Harry looked at the floor. He didn't want to be a burden; his angel might get annoyed with him. "When they go out for a long weekend to the beach or something, Vernon locks the cupboards because he thinks I'm going to steal something."

Closing his eyes, Draco spread his arms welcomingly. Hesitating for a moment, Harry accepted the embrace, burying his head into the blonde's shoulder.

"I made a promise to guard you. I never break a promise. I want to do everything in my power to help you because I have to, but also because I want to."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to. I've survived this long. If you wanted to leave, I'd understand. What I don't understand is why you haven't left yet. I mean, who'd want to be stuck with me? I'm nothing important."

Tracing a light pattern on the small of his Tutela's back, Draco considered his answer.

"I need you to realise just how important and special you are. To the wizarding world you're a sign of hope. To Voldemort you're an equal. To me… you're my friend. Real friends stick together through anything. It took me losing everyone to see that. So I'm afraid you're stuck with me. I'm staying until you throw me out." He tightened his grip on the brunette.

"You know I wouldn't." He sighed, finally returning the embrace and wrapping his arms around the blonde. "Why am I seen as such an idol? I can't even remember the night I banished Voldemort. I hadn't even heard of the wizarding world until yesterday."

"The day I understand the warped minds of your devoted followers is the day I go crazy. But that's not important now. I'm hungry."

He put his hands on Harry's slim waist, gently pushing him to the side. He flicked his wand at the food, causing several things to happen at once. The oven pinged and the vegetables and potatoes flew into pots, cooking instantly. Five plates were levitated onto the counter and the food plated up by itself.

Harry shook his head, smiling. He laid the table and set down three of the plates. "Dinner!"

Two sets of heavy footsteps came rushing towards the kitchen. Dudley and Vernon burst in, shovelling down food before they'd even sat down. Petunia came in last, sitting with a lot more elegance and picking delicately at her food.

Harry stood in the corner with his plate hidden by Draco's knee. Draco was perched on top of the counter, his own dinner balanced across his lap. The blonde was surprised to see his Tutela eating almost as quickly as his cousin and uncle. Their eyes met for a second, a silent message passing between them. Harry wanted to eat as much as possible before his uncle noticed.

"Boy, why's the freak eating? I don't remember giving him permission to eat all my food?" Vernon got a good look at Harry. "You've both got dinner! How dare you disobey me?"

Draco looked at Harry and winked. Confused, the brunette waited to see what his Angel was planning.

The blonde looked to Vernon, a calculating look in his eyes. "What right have you to give orders to either of us?"

Vernon turned a very interesting shade of red. "I have a right as his guardian! And while you're under my roof, you'll do as I say!"

"Petunia is Harry's legal guardian and I am his magical, you're nothing to do with him. This house is under Harry's name, so technically it's his roof." He smiled evilly. It was all true; although his aunt and uncle had paid for the house, it was still under Harry's name. They'd found out at Gringotts that Lilly Evans had inherited it from a distant relative. Petunia had bought it off of her but it had still been in Lilly's name. When she died, it became Harry's.

The large man spluttered, lost for words. "But why are _you_ here? Parents kick you out?" He snorted, trying to look down his nose at the blonde.

Draco smirked; he could stare down his father, so making this muggle cower was effortless. "Nah, kicked myself out. They just finalised it by signing the papers to disown me."

Harry shook his head, vowing to never get into an argument with the blonde.

…

That night, Draco was sleeping dreamlessly when a scream startled him awake.

He looked across to the other bed and saw Harry shaking and mumbling in his sleep.

Crawling out from under his covers, the Fallen quietly crept over, settling next to his Tutela. He pulled Harry onto his lap, rocking him gently and whispering soothing words into his ear.

When they touched, Harry visible relaxed and was on the verge of waking within a few minutes.

"D-Draco? You there?"

"Yeah I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He rested his head on Harry's shoulder, his cheek against the brunette's neck.

Harry sighed and leant into the warm embrace wrapped tightly around him.

"Please stay? I need to know you're here. I need to know he didn't…" He broke off, not wanting to talk about it.

Draco quickly pieced together Harry's words; he must have been remembering the events at the graveyard.

"Okay. I won't leave you, I promise."

The Fallen threw back the covers and lay down with Harry before pulling them back up. The brunette curled into a ball against Draco's chest and Draco wrapped around him.

He had made a promise and he would keep it, no matter what it took.

...

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	4. Running and snakes

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**AN- I know. How long has it been? Too bloody long. I'm starting to get the feeling that I may not be the most reliable person when it comes to updating. Please trust me when I say I try my best to be quick, but this chapter was deleted and edited so many times that I annoyed myself and left it like this.**_

_**So, Jay's appearance is based in my mate Vix and his speech is based on how me and my family talk. Weird combination, hope it works.**_

_**Any of the moves/skills mentioned that you don't recognise please youtube. You'll understand when you get there.  
><strong>_

_**Anyway...enough from me...hope you like...**_

...

It was Monday morning; three days after Draco had arrived at Privet Drive. The Fallen stirred and fully awoke, smiling at the warmth by his side. Harry was stretched out next to him, tangled in a mess of limbs as Draco was sprawled out in his usual sleeping position. He looked down and saw a head of unruly black hair lying on his chest. He raised a hand and gently ran it through the long hair, silky strands sifting through his fingers.

Harry mumbled in his sleep before his eyes flew open. He stared for a second before smiling at the boy still playing with his hair.

"Hey. Thanks for staying. Last night, the dream…I thought it was happening all over again."

Placing a finger against his Tutela's lips, Draco smiled sadly. "I know; you talk in your sleep. It'll be okay though, it was just a dream…well, a memory."

Nodding, Harry sat up, stretching cat-like. The movement caused lean, strong muscles to ripple along his thin arms and Draco caught a glimpse of a toned though slim torso as his vest rose up.

"Where'd you get muscles? I never noticed before; your old clothes just made you look scarily thin."

Harry shrugged and blushed self-consciously. "I run a lot. I met a guy called Jay about two years ago. He teaches me free-running whenever we both have spare time. Usually I get my chores done quite quickly and he's home-schooled, so we have a lot of spare time. Jay's alright, although I wouldn't really call him a friend. He's a couple years older than us and takes some…getting used to."

"School? Oh yeah, I forgot muggles start their kids of young. So no one's here? Why don't you go school?"

"I used to but a few incidents involving accidental magic saw that I got excluded. Vernon tells everyone that he's looking for another school but never does. And yeah, nobody's here. Dudley's either at school or skiving off around town. Vernon's at work and Petunia is doing whatever it is she does during the day."

"Nice. Please can we go running? I love parkour, although I know it's not quite the same."

Harry looked up, smiling. He'd thought he'd have to give it up and was eager to see what the blonde could do.

"You do parkour? I never did learn the difference."

"Parkour: getting from one place to another in the quickest amount of time. Free-running is basically just showing off skills. Death Eaters get taught as a necessity. If you lost your wand in a battle, you'd have to get away as fast as you can or risk getting killed. Most wizards splinch themselves if they aparate without a wand and no one in their right mind would let a Death Eater use their floo. You'd be surprised how many people forget to make portkeys when called upon to terrorize a village of defenceless muggles."

"Makes sense in a rather disturbing way. We'll meet up today if you want, as soon as I get my chores done."

…

By eleven O'clock, the Fallen and his Tutela were perched on the roof of a tall, narrow building. A small thump sounded from below their feet and Harry grinned, leaning dangerously low over the edge of the roof and helping another boy clamber up from an open window.

"Yo Haz. Who's tha'?" The tall boy nodded his head towards Draco, his unnaturally white Mohawk defying gravity.

Draco smirked at him, quickly taking in his appearance. He seemed about two years older than himself and appeared to have a slight obsession with piercings. His ears had several studs and his eyebrow and nose where also pierced. A medusa and snake bites completed the look. Draco's smirk turned to a small smile.

"I'm Draco. I'm staying with Harry for a bit."

"Cool, I'm Jay. Foreign exchange studen'?" At Harry's confused look, Jay rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "Jeez Haz, please tell me y'knew he's a frog? His accen's as subtle as a bloody sledge'ammer."

Harry raised an eyebrow and shrugged, carefully avoiding the topic of why Draco was staying with him. "I noticed the accent but didn't bother asking. At least his English is better than yours, Jay."

"Nah, you two are jus' posh. I'm likin' the new threads, babe."

Rolling his eyes, Harry hit him hard in the shoulder. The other boy had a habit of using pet names, a habit that drove Harry crazy. He inwardly smiled, glad that Jay liked his new clothes, even though they were just bought for the freedom of movement and not for how they looked. He was wearing a tight black vest cut to look like the sleeves had been forcefully ripped off and dark, baggy jeans that seemed to be made of just pockets. The low slung jeans were held up with a long chain threaded through the belt loops. On his left hand was a black and red striped fingerless glove that reached just past his wrist. Draco had stolen the other glove earlier and had it on his right hand.

"Ow! Come on then, le's run. Newbie, keep up if ya can." With that he was off, sprinting along the peak of the roof with practised ease, the others hot on his heels.

Jay sprang forward, temporarily in flight as he dived into a Kong vault over the low chimney, not missing a beat as he ran across the next roof which was fortunately flat. Feeling a little more daring, Harry turned suddenly, jumping backwards onto the wide rim if the chimney before back-flipping off, twisting at the same time in order to be facing the right direction to run after Jay. Draco swept his arms low and leapt before he could collide with the chimney, throwing himself into a high butterfly twist over the obstacle. He landed in a different place than he'd thought and realised that his blind eye must be messing up his distance and special awareness. He looked up and continued forward, just in time to see his Tutela perform a running Gainer. Smiling widely, the Fallen basked in the sense of freedom the sport gave him.

…

"Ya ready?"

Jay held up his mobile, ready to record the synchronised drops. Harry and Draco clung to the top of the three metre wall cat-style.

"Yeah!"

"Get on with it!"

Rolling his eyes, Jay pressed the little red button.

"Three…Two…One!"

Harry (attempting the angel drop) pushed off, stretching into a layout back flip. He landed in a low crouch, but managed to straighten up fluidly. Draco chose to do the devil drop instead, tucking his body and flipping forward towards the wall as he fell. His landing was slightly deeper than Harry's and sheer willpower stopped him toppling onto his butt. Straightening, he pulled the brunette into a one-armed hug before nodding to Jay to switch the camera off.

"Haz, my darlin' love."

The Tutela looked up at the muggle with calculating eyes. "You're either wanting a punch, or I've done something wrong."

Dramatically wincing, Jay stuck his tongue out. "No' from you, I'm still recov'rin' from the las' time you slugged me one. Nah, jus' keep ya elbows still, there was a strange angle abou' half way through the flip." He turned to Draco with a nod "Newbie, sweet recov'ry. Good t'see you've got used to placin' ya landin's be'er. Tha' eye of yours mus' be a righ' bummer."

Slipping his phone into a pocket of his dangerously low slung tracksuit bottoms, Jay stripped off his black T-shirt. He wrapped the material tightly around his wrist, supporting the muscle he'd managed to pull in a miss-judged underbar pass.

"I gotta go. I tol' me mum I'd be back at twelve an' it's now three. Catch ya la'er, babes." Before Harry could land a hit, he ran off, laughing wildly.

As soon as he'd disappeared down the street, Harry and Draco collapsed against each other, slumping heavily to the ground.

"I swear that kid has unlimited energy."

The Tutela chuckled, leaning his head into the crook of his Angel's neck. "If you slept for fourteen hours every night and ate like a horse, you would too."

"Stuff that." He sighed, wrapped an arm around the smaller boy's waist and dragged him up as he stood. "We better head home. Your family will be back soon."

Harry inwardly grinned at how easily Draco had called Privet Drive home. He slowly started to jog down the street, kicking off from a building to grab a lamppost. Swinging round, he perched on top, smiling down at the Fallen.

"Race ya!"

…

"Tell me something."

Draco looked up from where he was rifling through the fridge and grinned. He'd been living with Harry and the Dursleys for just over a week and was already used to his frequent, random questions. He knew that his family never answered his questions and that Harry just wanted to learn about anything and everything. His smile faltered slightly as he realised Dudley hadn't yet left to terrorize the citizens of Little Whinging like usual on a Saturday morning.

"Something."

Harry rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at his Angel.

"How original. Nah, I just wanted to know what it's like in France. I've always wanted to go. Although I never quite got the hang of the language."

Dudley's small snort went ignored. The large boy had been put in the same year group as his younger cousin and they'd had all their classes together. Harry's French wasn't brilliant but he'd been the most eager to learn, causing him to quickly become the top student.

"You know French? It's rare for a wizard or witch to know a second language. Most just use translator spells. People think I'm crazy for speaking three."

"Oui. J'ai appris le français à l'école mais je ne m'en souviens très bien (I learned French at school but don't remember it well). I only studied it for a few months before getting excluded so I'm pretty crap. What else do you speak?"

His pronunciation needed a lot of work but it had been understandable. He grinned as he watched Dudley slump on the table, hoping he was ignoring the two wizards.

"Muggles have a thing about educating their kids from young ages, don't they? I'll never understand it. French was obviously my first language, I grew up there. Mother taught me German, she was born in Munich. We all moved to England just under three years ago so I could learn English in time for Hogwarts. My parents didn't want me to go to Beauxbatons in France. Apparently they focus really hard on the girls and don't care what the rest of us do."

"Wow. That's quite impressive. I mean, you're fluent in English. But back to my original question; what's it like in France?"

Dudley stood up from the table, grabbed an uneaten slice of toast from Harry's plate and left. Waiting for his Tutela to stop the verbal attack he launched at his cousin's retreating back, Draco chuckled slightly.

"How the hell are you two related? Anyway, it's a beautiful place. We lived down South, not too far from Rodez. The house was white and spread out for miles. I remember spending most of my time out exploring the gardens and in the paddocks. I've always loved animals and I was allowed to keep several birds and dogs. After a lot of pleading I was given a pot-bellied pig. It used to sleep in the same stable as Snails, my horse."

Grinning from ear to ear, Harry jumped up onto the counter, sitting on his Angel's lap.

"That sounds amazing. Jay was right; you were a right posh rich kid!"

Draco swatted his shoulder lightly but didn't deny it. "Sure. You would've been too, if Dumbledore had put you in the care of decent guardians."

Leaning his head back slightly, Harry managed to catch is eye. "What do you mean? I thought this was the only place I could go?"

Sighing, Draco rested his head on his Tutela's shoulder, their bodies fitting perfectly together.

"There were hundreds of wizarding couples and families begging to take you in and raise you like a traditional wizard. Dumbledore sent you here instead. Perhaps he thought this would be the safest place, seeing as the Dursley's are your only family but who knows. He may have had other motives. He may be one of the greatest wizards alive, but he does love being in control of everything and everyone. That's one of the few good pieces of information I ever got from my father."

Harry shuddered, hating the feeling that his childhood was the way it was because of the decisions of one man. "Well I'm kind of glad it turned out like this. I have you and also the knowledge of both worlds. At least I won't ever have to worry about whether I should take muggle studies or not."

Closing his eyes, the blonde nodded, thinking for the first time of what might happen at Hogwarts.

…

On the 22nd June, Harry and Draco were startled awake by the shrill voice of Petunia Dursley.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Harry's eyes flew open, bright jade meeting liquid silver as he looked directly at Draco, their foreheads pressed together. Sighing, he wrapped his arms tighter around the taller boy.

"What's wrong?" He called in the general direction of the door.

"Are you up yet? I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Groaning, Harry disentangled himself from sprawled limbs and twisted sheets. Draco had given up sleeping in separate beds as his Tutela seemed to be constantly plagued with nightmares whenever alone.

Getting up, Harry stretched languidly before throwing on some random clothes. He smirked at his Angel, who was about to drift back to sleep.

Leaping onto the bed, he stood and started jumping. Giving up, the blonde caught his ankle, sending Harry crashing down. He laughed at the startled look on the other boy's face before gently shoving him completely off the bed, both now in fits of giggles.

"I'll get up, alright! Jeez, Haz, it's the A.M, you shouldn't have that much energy." Without realising it, Draco had subconsciously picked up on some of Jay's habits. Unfortunately it was the habits that annoyed Harry the most.

He grabbed the clothes launched at his head from across the room, grinning at Harry's perfect aim.

…

Harry was half way through frying eggs when his whale of a cousin entered the crowded kitchen. His small, watery blue eyes fell on the gigantic pile of presents stacked up on the dinner table. Draco shuddered; Harry was right when he said the boy looked like a pig in a wig.

The two wizards quickly served breakfast and started gulping their own straight from the pan. As Dudley counted his presents, they could both sense a huge tantrum brewing. They'd learnt from past experience it was best to eat as quickly as possible and move to a safe distance.

"Thirty-six. That's two less than last year."

Petunia quickly rushed to her son. "Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under the large one from Mummy and Daddy."

Choking on his food in an attempt to hide his laughter, Draco mouthed to Harry. "Mummy and Daddy?"

The other boy smirked and carried on wolfing down his food, watching the scene playing out before him.

"All right, thirty-seven then." Dudley said, going red in the face.

Petunia finally caught on to the brewing tantrum. "And we'll buy you another _two _presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? _Two_ more presents. Is that all right?"

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. He spoke up slowly. "So I'll have thirty…thirty…"

"Thirty-nine, sweetums." Petunia said.

The Fallen turned incredulous eyes on his Tutela. "Please tell me you're not blood related?"

Harry met his gaze solemnly. "Kinda makes me wish either my mum or Petunia was adopted."

…

Vernon and Petunia were arguing furiously.

"Mrs. Figg?"

Harry's aunt shook her head. "The woman broke her leg."

Draco and Harry, eavesdropping through the door, looked at each other, silently vowing to visit the elderly lady.

"We could phone Marge."

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."

"The feeling's mutual." Harry mumbled bitterly. Slowly he entered the living room. "You could just leave us here."

Petunia turned a sour look on him. "And come home and find the house in ruins?"

"I won't blow up the house. Well…not all of it."

Catching onto his Tutela's plan Draco smiled. "Maybe just a room or two."

Smirking Harry continued. "I suppose we'll have to go to the zoo, then. Just wait in the car."

"But Harry, my dear sweetie, the car's new. Surely we can't be trusted in it alone."

Silently cursing Jay for getting Draco into the habit of sickly sweet nick-names, he slapped a hand to his forehead in mock-horror. "Then, my darling Angel, there is simply no other choice. We'll have to go into the zoo."

Vernon and Petunia glared at the two wizards but Harry was right; there was no other choice.

…

"There's not enough room."

Vernon, Petunia, Dudley and his best friend Piers Polkiss were all piled into the car. Harry had a brainwave and leant by his aunt's window.

"You're going to the one in town, right?" The thin woman nodded her head sharply. "How far is that?"

"Ten-fifteen minutes."

"As the crow flies?"

"Five, why?"

"We'll meet you at the entrance."

She scowled at him for a moment before nodding again. "You better not make us late." She signalled to Vernon and the car pulled away from the curb, speeding off around the corner.

"Why don't they just lock the house and let us do what we want outside?"

Shrugging, Harry took off down the street, his Angel hot on his heels. "They don't want me out; they're scared of what the neighbours might think. They haven't realised that we sneak out all the time. The door key that Vernon lost once was actually stolen by a mysterious person with a Mohawk and later passed onto his younger, more attractive sidekick."

Draco grinned; it had taken a while, but he had eventually made Harry more self-confident and even managed to start an ego growing. He followed his Tutela as he expertly led them straight towards their destination, climbing or jumping any obstacle that dared to get in the way.

…

The two wizards were sat outside the zoo, waiting for the Dursleys and Piers to arrive. Draco brought his hands behind his head and laid back on the soft long grass that stretched between the car park and entrance. Harry quickly joined him on the ground, laying at a right-angle to the blonde and using his stomach as a pillow.

"Haz, what's a zoo?"

The smaller boy couldn't contain his laughter. "You serious? Must be a muggle thing. Animals are kept in enclosures so that people can gawk at them."

"Sounds lovely."

Sighing, Harry caught sight of Vernon and company. Slowly they made their way over to the two boys on the grass.

"Get up! I want to go to the zoo! This is my birthday; I don't want you to spoil everything." Dudley whined, aiming a sharp kick at his cousin's thigh.

Harry refused to let the pain show on his face. Instead he stood fluidly, Draco rising beside him.

"You hurt him again and I swear I'll knock that lump of lard you like to call a head straight of your fucking shoulders. You got that birthday boy?"

Dudley paled and nodded, his eyes filling with fear. The dark glint in the Fallen's eyes was enough to send both him and Piers hurrying to the adults, who were buying tickets and hadn't noticed what had been going on.

Wrapping an arm around Draco's waist, Harry smiled. "Thanks, Angel. Sorry you got hurt."

Slinging his arm over the other boy's shoulders, Draco grinned at the nickname.

"Anytime, babe." His smile widened, safe in the knowledge that just his once, Harry would let him off for the name.

…

Harry and Draco had spent the whole morning goofing around, sneaking away from the Dursleys and plotting ways of setting all the animals free.

After lunch, they all went to the cold, dark, reptile room.

Looking around in awe, Harry looked at the huge variety of lizards and snakes. With their pointed, delicate faces and elegant bodies, he was stunned at their beauty, never having seen reptiles up close before. He came over to Draco, who was stood with an angry expression on his face as Dudley attempted to wake a huge python.

"Make it move!" He demanded to anyone that would listen.

His whine instantly grabbed the attention of his father and Vernon hurried over. He stared at the large, glistening brown snake before rapping on the glass of the container.

Dudley and Piers soon got bored when nothing happened and wandered off to frighten a small green lizard hiding inside a hollow log.

Harry stayed by the python and Draco moved to stand behind him, his head propped on top of the smaller boy's.

"Poor thing must be dying of boredom. " Harry mumbled sadly. "All alone except for stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass to try and disturb it."

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly it raised its head until it could look both wizards in the eye. Cocking its head in an almost human way, it winked.

Draco's body was the only thing stopping Harry leaping into the air in shock.

Gulping, the Fallen leant down, whispering to his Tutela. "Haz, I've got an idea and I think I'm right. Try and communicate with it."

Uncertain, Harry winked back.

The snake jerked his head towards the Dursleys and Piers then raised its eyes to the ceiling. He shot the boys an annoyed look that plainly said '_I get that all the time'_.

"_I know_." Harry found himself murmuring through the glass, although sure that the snake couldn't hear him. "_It must be really annoying_."

Simultaneously, the snake nodded vigorously and Draco whooped in delight.

"You're a parseltongue, babe! You can talk to snakes! Ask him something, he looks like he's getting bored."

Harry was delighted enough to forgive his Angel for using the 'B' word. "_Where do you come from?"_

At the same time, the snake and Draco both pointed to the little sign next to the glass.

_Boa Constrictor, Brazil. This specimen was bred in the zoo._

"I know you so well; I could tell what you'd ask without even understanding the language." Draco smiled, pleased with himself.

Harry hid his smile by turning back to the enclosure. "So you've never been to Brazil?"

The snake shook its head sadly. A sudden and deafening shout coming from Piers made the trio jump.

"Dudley! Mr. Dursley! Come and look at this snake! You won't believe what it's doing!"

"Out of the way, you." Dudley sneered, shoving his younger cousin roughly out the way.

Caught by surprise, Harry took a nosedive, a strong, pale hand grabbing him before he smashed into the ground. A snarl broke from Draco's lips but was cut short by chaos breaking out in the reptile room.

The glass had vanished.

The large snake slowly uncoiled, slithering out onto the floor. The two wizards glanced at each other, pointing to themselves then the other in the universal sign for 'my fault or yours?'

Shrugging, Harry grabbed Draco's hand and sprinted to the exits before his uncle could calm down enough to realise that he was probably to blame for the vanishing glass.

As they headed for the zoo gates, the boa slithered past them. "Brazil, here I come…thanks, amigos."

Harry laughed all the way back to Privet Drive.

...

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	5. Birthdays and plans

_**For a summary, warnings and dislcaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**AN- Look! We finally have another chapter for all you gorgeous readers. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favourited (is that a word? o.O)/alerted this story, I love you all. I know I have'nt stuck to my once a week plan but this is better then last time, only a day late. Yeah, sorry. I have a feeling that there are a couple mistakes in this chapter, so if you could kindly tell me, I'll edit them out. Anyway...enough from me...**_

...

Harry took one look out of his small bedroom window and squealed.

Draco looked up from his book, concern written plainly on his features. "What's wrong?"

Flinging the window open wide, Harry stuck his arm out and caught a large barn owl, swaying slightly under the impact. The wizards laughed joyfully as they took their respective Hogwarts acceptance letters from the bird.

Clutching the letter to his chest, Harry let out a surprised yelp as his Angel grabbed him into a tight hug, lifting him off his feet and spinning them both around.

"Merlin! I can't believe I got in! I thought I was officially dead."

Harry leant against Draco, dizzy from his sudden spin around the room.

"I'm just glad it's official that we can finally get out of this place."

…

"Dray?"

"Yeah, darl?"

Harry met his gaze, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. He had both of their Hogwarts letters in his hands.

"You're letter seems to be the generic one sent to all students. But mine is different. I mean, yours seems to be official and formal, including things that any wizard with a basic education of magic would understand. The only word in mine that relates to magic and the wizarding world is muggle."

Draco leant to read over Harry's shoulder and saw that he was right. "Maybe yours is specific to people raised by muggles? But to be honest, I think it's just aimed at you. I don't know why. Someone's planning something."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

…

The second-hand and many times repaired alarm clock trilled for a moment before being thrown to the floor in an attempt to turn it off. It gave a last feeble chirp before cutting out. Draco looked at the boy sleeping in his arms, cursing his stupidity. When he'd made this brilliant plan, he'd forgotten to take into account that Harry tended to sleep on top of him.

Slowly, he tucked the smaller boy closer to him, easing the movement as he rolled them over. Finally he managed to untangle himself from the sprawling mess of arms and legs. He eased out of the bed and took his time shifting Harry into a decent position, making sure he was properly covered.

Satisfied, he headed down the creaky stairs, the sound reminding his to cast a silencing charm on his and Harry's room. A shadow fell across the stained-glass window in the front door and he quickly unlocked the door with the key he'd stolen from his unsuspecting Tutela.

"Shit! It's well cold at five in the mornin'! How's you doin', blondie?"

Smiling, Draco grabbed the taller boy around the neck, dragging him into the house in a headlock.

"Get in, you stupid git!" He said jokingly, closing the door against the cold.

"No' my fault you wan'ed me here so bloody early." Jay replied, a small smile growing across his lips. "Le's go!"

…

Draco held up three fingers then lowered one, silently counting down. The final finger was lowered and an explosion of sound filled the small room.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Draco shouted, hitting a button on a CD player that sent music blasting of the walls.

Jay began popping numerous party poppers, singing 'happy birthday' at the top of his tone-deaf lungs.

Harry sat bolt upright, surprise and shock plastered across his face. He became aware enough to register the blonde diving towards the bed and caught him, pulling Draco to sit beside him before settling into the Angel's lap.

Looking around the room, Harry took in the streamers and banners tied to every available surface and the wispy strings of coloured paper drifting down from Jay's poppers.

"Wow, guys! You two are the best. Thanks so much, love you both."

Draco rolled his eyes and kissed the top of his Tutela's head while Jay swept down into a low bow. The older boy quickly joined the others, sprawling out across the foot of the bed.

"Aww, I think we've turned Haz to mush."

The Tutela aimed a light punch at his friend, sticking his tongue out. "Alright! I'll quit being mushy. I'm just really surprised; I've never had anything like this before."

Smiling, Draco snatched the small box haphazardly balanced on Jay's elbow, dumping it onto Harry's lap.

"Something else you've never had. Come on! Open it; I want to see what you got."

Harry eagerly ripped into his present, sending paper flying everywhere. He uncovered a smooth cardboard box. Frowning in confusion, he slid his finger under the flap, causing several things to fall onto the bed. Picking up a small rectangle, he turned it over to reveal the keypad, instantly recognising the device as a phone. He grabbed the cable and jammed it into the nearby plug-socket, putting the mobile onto charge.

"Thanks, Jay! Can't wait to start pressing buttons!"

Jay smiled at the delighted look on the smaller boy's face. "S'okay, babe. It's only a basic one; I'm on a budget and Blondie here tol' me there ain't much technology in tha' fancy school you two are off to. I jus' wan' ya both to keep in touch and now you have no excuse no' to."

"As if we wouldn't. Thanks, though, means a lot to me. To be honest I wondering about how we'd keep in contact."

Draco nodded, a plan forming in his head. "We should even be able to run it off sparks, saves charging it all the time." He locked eyes with Harry, understanding passing between them. They knew Jay shouldn't find out about the magical world, so they had unintentionally started to develop a code around the muggle. Magic was usually replaced by sparks.

"Okay, my turn. Open my present."

Harry took the neatly wrapped gift from his Angel, trying to think of when he could have possibly bought it.

"Dray, you didn't have to."

"Of course I did. Now open it, the suspense is killing me."

Laughing, Harry tore into the package, revealing the silver wand holder. He let out a deep breath, trailing a finger almost lovingly over an elegantly arched wing, his gaze following the line of glittering emeralds.

"It's amazing. It's as beautiful as the thing it reminds me of. Thanks love."

Draco grinned at the hidden compliment and Jay pouted. He'd been trying to get Harry to relax about pet names for over two years and Draco had managed it in two months.

Harry slipped the handle into the small chest of draws by the bed, not wanting Jay to get a proper look and start questioning what it is. He kissed his Angel on the cheek and dramatically blew a kiss down to his friend on the foot of the bed. He grinned; already this was his best birthday ever.

…

A man clad in black from head to foot stood on the doorstep of Privet Drive, his dark hair swinging around his head and a scowl on his lips.

The door swung open and he was greeted with the sour face of his deceased friend's sister.

"Good morning, Petunia."

The horse faced woman stared at her visitor, her face turning a deathly white.

"Y-y…you? Severus Snape?"

"The one and only. Please move so I can collect my godson and knowing my luck, probably Potter as well."

He heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs and smiled inwardly, not letting any emotion leak out onto his cold face. He spotted the young Malfoy and nodded in greeting.

"Draco, good to see you…alive and well? Or do you prefer dead and well?"

Laughing, Draco threw himself into his godfather's arms. "Like I care. I'm glad to see you too, uncle Sev." He turned and flung an arm around the boy hidden behind him, bringing Harry forward to face the potions professor.

"Harry, Snape. Snape, Harry."

Severus sighed but held out a hand, planning to stay formal around the boy he was determined to hate. "Potter. I've heard a lot about you."

Draco shook his head, smirking. "No. Potter is a reference to James Potter, your bully. _Harry_ is the person who has allowed me to stay in his house for the last few months. Keep in mind he is also my friend and I am his magical guardian. I am sworn to protect him in any way possible."

Severus nodded his understanding but was unwilling to agree. He knew this meant a lot to his godson and the Potter boy was important to him for some reason, so he would try his best to be civil. He nodded farewell to the stunned woman in the doorway before gripping both boys by the shoulders and apparating them all away.

…

Severus Snape was usually right. He was used to being right and it hit him hard whenever he was proved wrong. He had been wrong about Harry Potter; he was not his father. Although they're the spitting image of each other, James had been big-headed and cruel, Harry was kind and thoughtful.

He presumed that Draco had told his friend of what had happened between James and him because as soon as they were alone, Harry had made a formal apology for everything the Potters have ever done to the Snapes. He had accepted, something his godson was very pleased about.

Looking around _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions _in disgust (he'd tried to persuade Dumbledore many times to make school robes available from somewhere else) he quickly spotted the two younger wizards. It took all of his willpower to hold back his laughter.

Draco had a mouse brown wig taken from a mannequin perched on his head and was sucking in his cheeks, doing a rather creditable impression of Petunia Dursley. Harry was stood on the stool next to him, doubled over with laughter.

Madam chose that moment to come out from the workshop and stopped in her tracks. She turned horrified eyes to Snape.

"Please, sir, prevent your children from wrecking my displays."

Severus' eyes shifted back and forth between Madam and Draco, who was doing a dramatised impression of the flustered woman behind her back.

"Madam, I am sure you know they are not my children so I can't prevent anything. Harry, please prevent your boyfriend from wrecking the displays."

Harry nearly fell of his stool in shock before bursting into another round of laughter. "Snape, I am sure you know he is not my boyfriend so I can't prevent anything. Draco, my Angel, please prevent yourself from wrecking the displays."

"Of course, my darling, you only had to ask."

Snape didn't miss the look the two shared or how it triggered synchronised giggles in both boys. Draco jumped from the stool and placed the wig back onto the mannequin by the window. Looking up, he stopped in his tracks.

"Whoa! Hey Sev, I didn't know there were any giants around here?"

Severus followed his godson's gaze, his mood instantly souring.

"That's Hagrid. I'll bet you a hundred galleons that he's here to spy on you two for Dumbledore. That old fool's been panicking about the golden boy ever since Mrs. Figgs stopped reporting to him. The last thing she told him was that he now has a Malfoy guardian and doesn't need to be watched anymore. Merlin only knows how he found out you'd be here today."

Draco's mood also visibly darkened. He thought it appropriate to fill Harry in, who was listening to the conversation with confusion.

"Hagrid's nearly as bad as Dumbledore. People trust him because he doesn't seem to have a mind of his own but as soon as he even gets a sniff of alcohol he's either blurting out secrets or setting things on fire."

Harry met the eyes of the groundskeeper through the window long enough to send out the message that they knew why he was there.

"I wish people would just stick to their own lives. It makes me feel sad for them. If my life was boring enough to dedicate it to interfering with someone else's, I'd probably go mad."

Casually flicking a two-fingered salute to the half giant, Draco nodded. "Couldn't agree more."

…

Harry was bored. Madam Malkin had been pinning various materials to him and Draco for the best part of an hour and it was hard to balance on a spindly stool for that long.

A sharp pain suddenly jabbed his lower leg and Madam looked up to apologise for the slip but was interrupted by the boy on the other stool.

"Fuck! What in Merlin's name was that?"

Draco looked to Harry, his eyes going straight to the place that the pin had pricked him. He aimed his wand and cast a small healing charm.

Madam and Severus looked at him in shock.

"Draco, did you feel that?" Severus' drawling voice filled the silent room.

"Yeah. It's…complicated. Just a…I guess you could call it a contract, that allows me to feel his pain. Talk later." He shot his godfather a pointed look, clearly saying that he would tell him as soon as they were in private.

…

"Look! Over there."

"The one next to the tall man?"

"Wait…Isn't that Snape? What's Harry Potter doing with Severus Snape?"

"Is it really Harry Potter? Oh, look, they have a Malfoy with them!"

"That's the youngest one, Draco I think he's called."

"I heard that he was killed while trying to join the dark lord."

"They probably kidnapped the poor Potter boy to give to their master!"

Harry had been hearing the rumours flying around all morning. Severus and Draco were doing their best to ignore them but Harry couldn't take anymore. He turned to the crowd trying (and failing) to subtly follow the trio.

"Yes I am Harry Potter. The professor is taking his godson, who is obviously not dead, shopping and I just happen to be joining them. Now piss off." His last words were ground out into a demand that coupled with glares from Severus and Draco was enough to send the crowd scattering.

"Sweet. A celebrity that hates his adoring masses. I can tell this is going to go well." The youngest Malfoy snorted, slinging an arm over his Tutela's narrow shoulders.

…

"Is there anything else you wanted to get?"

Harry looked up from the chips he was stealing from Draco.

"Déjà vu. Strange how that happens. Anyway, there's nothing I can think of. Dray?"

"Nah, we got all our essentials when we came by ourselves and I think we've got enough school supplies to last all our years at Hogwarts and then some."

Snape smirked but agreed. There was a fine line between being well equipped and being weighed down with supplies.

"I will just have to give you enough homework that everything is used up, won't I?" He allowed a small smile to stretch across his lips at the boys crestfallen expressions. "I guess the only thing that's left is to get Harry a present and get Draco his other one."

Surprised, Harry sent the professor a surprised look. "Why would I get a present?"

Draco smiled warmly to his Tutela. "He always buys birthday presents for people he likes. He thinks remembering their birthdates proves that he cares and sending gifts lets them know he still wants to keep in contact." He nodded to his godfather in thanks for letting go of the past and getting to know Harry.

Harry blushed and met Severus' gaze. "Thank you, Snape. That means a lot to me."

Seeing the sincere look in the small boy's eyes and the wide grin lighting up his godson's face, the ice around the potions master's heart slowly began to melt.

…

It was decided that Harry and Draco would be gifted with owls.

In _EEylops Owl Emporium_, Harry had fallen in love with a beautiful, pure-white snowy owl. He thanked Severus several times as the older man paid for the bird.

"Don't mention it. Just remember this when you get a smart idea in class. I am able to make your detentions a living hell."

Harry smiled and thanked him once more. Feeling a hand tap him on the shoulder, Harry turned, eyes bugging out at the sight before him.

Draco was stood with a delighted expression on his face, an owl perched on his forearm. It was a large, evil looking bird that somehow managed to look down its beak as it stared at Harry. The Angel petted it on the head, cooing softly to the animal. Deciding that he shouldn't judge things by appearances, Harry stretched a welcoming hand out only to quickly draw it back from the sharp, snapping beak aiming at his fingers.

"What the hell is that?"

"Thisis my owl. Isn't he gorgeous? I'm calling him Flaumig."

Severus turned from where he had been talking to the shopkeeper. "Draco, that's the evilest bird I've ever seen. But if he's what you want, don't come complaining to me when he shreds your letters instead of sending them. And Flaumig? I can't believe you named him Fluffy."

Harry stared disbelievingly as the owl leant into Draco's hand, still twisting its head around enough to glare at the brunette. He kept its gaze for a second before picking up the cage that housed his own owl, which he had named Hedwig, and leading the way out the store.

…

That evening, Severus apparated the young wizards back to Privet Drive. They landed in the living room, right in front of the Dursley's.

Vernon cursed, his large face turning bright red. "What is going on? Where the hell have you two been all day? I'm still expecting the chores to be completed."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I see this family is as delightful as ever. Anyway, bye you two, I've got a dinner to cook."

Draco tried to suppress his laughter and only just succeeded. "Stay here for dinner. You're an awful chef; it'll do you good to get a decent meal."

Raising an eyebrow at his Angel, Harry questioned sarcastically. "Are you cooking then, Dray?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Can Sev stay for dinner, Haz?"

Until that moment they had forgotten their muggle audience. Unfortunately, Vernon chose that moment to open his mouth.

"This is my house! No one is staying here without an invitation from me! Well, except Harry. And the blonde one. But no one else!"

Ignoring him, Harry nodded to Severus. "You want to stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to. And I'm not an awful cook." He didn't miss the gagging motion his godson sent his friend or the snigger hidden behind the other boy's hand.

…

The three wizards were sat alone in the kitchen. The Dursleys had all disappeared upstairs after the third show of magic from the professor.

"So, Draco, please tell me what's going on. Don't give me any of that 'keep you out of it for your own safety' crap, I need to know."

The Angel sighed, knowing there was no way out of telling is godfather everything. This was mostly because he trusted the older man with anything and everything, but a small voice reminded him that the potions master always had a bottle of Veritaserum hidden in his pockets.

"When I died I was given the choice of either going to hell or becoming Haz's guardian Angel. Obviously I chose the second and here I am. I'm indestructible as long as he's alive and well. He holds my heart and I feel his pain because of it. The…voice for want of a better word that gave me the choice said I have to do everything within my power to protect him. I have a kind of helpline that links me to the voice. I touch a mirror and there it is. Harry went out running for a few hours without me because I'd pulled a muscle and didn't feel up to it. We were both in pain after the separation. I asked the voice what had happened and it said it causes pain to be apart because my heart still thinks it's in me. The further and longer we're apart, the more it feels like my heart is trying to force itself back into me and Haz feels like something's trying to tear its way out of him. So we need your help."

Severus nodded, recording the information without letting it sink in fully. He wanted to be alone when he allowed himself to think about what had happened to the boy he thought of as a son.

"You need me to make sure you're not separated at Hogwarts?" Both young wizards looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I'll take care of it, leave it to me."

…

The next morning, Draco opened the bedroom window to allow a small screech owl in. he recognised the bird as belonging to his godfather and knew without even checking that the letter attached to its leg would be for Harry.

"Haz, darl, there's a letter for you from Sev."

Harry took it, shuffling over to allow Draco to sit beside him. He slit his finger under the seal, pulling out the heavy parchment.

_Dear Harry,_

_Thank you for allowing my godson to stay with you and also thanks for the wonderful dinner. Draco's right; compared to you, I am an awful cook. I hope you two are alright over the next three weeks and stay out of trouble. Just to let you know, I am researching the rules of Hogwarts and I think I have found a loophole that will prevent you having to be apart, but I'm not making any promises._

_Best wishes, Sev._

Draco chucked, reading over his Tutela's shoulder. "He's nothing if not the complete gentleman. Whenever you even think about inviting him over, he'll send a thank you note. Although expect him to act different at school, he hates most kids. Send him a reply saying thanks for trying to find a solution to our problem and tell him Draco says stop worrying about us."

Swatting him lightly on the shoulder, Harry grabbed a muggle pen and a sheet of parchment. "He worries because he cares, you'd complain if he didn't."

…

Dumbledore was furious. He'd been keeping tabs on the Potter boy for the last eleven years and now he wasn't hearing anything. He'd assigned a squib to move into the house across from him and make weekly reports. She had done her job well but then all of a sudden she claimed Harry had a new guardian and Dumbledore didn't need to interfere anymore.

With a little research he'd discovered that the woman was right about two things; Harry had a new guardian and that guardian was a Malfoy. But why would Lucius or Narcissa want Harry? What would they get out of it?

He had quickly dismissed them as the guardians and had chosen a different approach. He was able to access a limited amount of information on his students, present or future, and had persuaded Gringotts to share some details.

Finding out that Draco Malfoy was Harry Potter's magical guardian had come as a shock. Especially as the young Malfoy was supposedly dead.

Things began to slot into place after that. He knew that Severus Snape, someone he considered a friend, was Draco's godfather and that the two were very close. Severus had requested to skip that week's teachers meeting on the excuse of family business. Did that mean he was with Draco? If he was, was Harry also with them?

He sent people out to patrol the most popular wizarding areas. Hagrid had soon found the trio in Diagon Alley. The headmaster was glad that Harry was reported as looking healthy and well, that's not what had infuriated him. The half-giant had told him that Harry and Draco seemed to be very close and both had shown signs of vulgar behaviour. Dumbledore didn't want this; he wanted Harry to stay meek and humble so that he could be easily moulded into the hero that everyone wanted. With a Malfoy's influence his careful planning could be ruined.

He settled on a plan B, sending a unique acceptance letter to Harry and also a one word note to Molly Weasley. He knew the witch would understand what to do just by that one keyword.

_Muggle._

_..._

**_TBC_**

_**Onyx Claws~#**  
><em>


	6. Goodbyes and trains

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**AN- Yeah. Late again. I'm gunna change my deadlines to a week but without counting the days. Sorry if this is inconvenient/annoying for you, but there's nothing I can do about it. I do try my hardest to update ASAP. Anyway, some of you will be pleased to see our boys are finally heading off to school! So...on with the chapter...**_

...

Voldemort knew something was being kept from him. Severus Snape, a trusted member of his inner circle and one of the only people he could come close to calling a friend, was taking longer and longer to arrive after being summoned. He knew that he was close to the bastard Malfoy boy but there was no way of proving just how involved they were. He had tried to enter the professor's head but the man was extremely talented at oclumeny. Varitaserum was an option but considering Snape brewed all of his potions, there was no way of telling if the truth serum had been tampered with. As a final resort he had sent out a few low-level Death-Eaters to dig up information but they had come back with nothing. He couldn't send out anyone of higher rank for his own protection.

The general public still had mixed feelings over his mysterious disappearance. Some were desperate enough to believe that Potter had killed him all those years ago when his mother's sacrifice had prevented the brat from dying. Others were more realistic in their opinion. They had either witnessed or heard that Death Eaters were still doing small-scale attacks and thought that his inner-circle was controlling them while their master tried to drag himself back from death. The rest of the rumours weren't worth paying attention to, ranging from wild speculations of magical creature inheritance to a mass suicide of Death Eaters, their sacrifice putting life back in their master.

The truth was the rebounded killing curse had killed his body but his soul had still had an anchor in the land of the living. And here he was, weak but alive. He was still regaining his previous power but he was in control. He liked wizards not knowing exactly what had happened; it gave him an upper-hand. If all they knew was rumours, he could become as powerful as before and they wouldn't notice until it was too late for them to act against him. He deliberately painted his inner-circle as the main leaders to promote the false rumours. This was easy enough as people like Lucius Malfoy were desperate for the small amount of control he was allowed over the Death Eaters. He had tried offering power to Snape in exchange for information, but the dark haired man had refused.

Without realising it, his thoughts had turned a full circle and he was back to contemplating about how to rip secrets from Snape's head. Frowning, he aimed a crucio at a young woman cowering at his feet, trying to eliminate his frustration.

…

Molly Weasley smiled to herself, humming happily as she incinerated Dumbledore's letter.

So the great headmaster had failed. All his careful planning and manipulation over the last ten years had fallen through. He needed her to salvage his work and she knew it.

This is it. This is what she had been waiting for. Dumbledore was depending on her and was now in her debt. She wanted her children to do well at Hogwarts and maybe, just maybe, the headmaster would make sure of this.

Her sons entered the narrow kitchen and a smile began to pull at the corners of her mouth. They would never be the richest or most respected family but the sight of her twins helping their little brother into his ill-fitting uniform made her swell with pride.

…

"Haz! Get your arse here now! If you make us late I swear I'll-"

Harry strode in like he had all the time in the world, his trunk for Hogwarts shrunk so that he could carry it comfortable in one hand.

"You'll do what, my patient Angel?"

Draco rolled his eyes, pulling Harry into a headlock and mussing his hair.

"Let's just hope you will never have to find out, darl." He let him go, smirking at the mock-glare on his friend's face. He handed him his caged owl and picked up his own. "Come on then, one last moment of Little Whinging madness."

…

"You-you…abandoners! I can't believe…you're both leavin' me." Jay managed to choke out around fake sobs.

He was sat on the sofa in his living room, Harry perched on his lap and Draco spread out on the floor by their feet.

Harry wrapped an arm around the older boy's neck, dramatically sobbing into his chest.

"I know! I'm so sorry, hun. Education's a bitch though and we must leave you. Hopefully we'll be back for Christmas. We'll definitely be back for the summer."

Draco leant against their legs, looking up to meet Jay's eyes, noticing the hint of sadness hidden behind the act.

"And we'll be ringing and texting you all the time, you'll be sick of us before you could miss us."

Jay smiled a genuine smile and shoved Harry off his lap before reaching down to give Draco a hand up.

"Yeah, I know. But you're like brothers to me, course I'll miss ya. Now piss of before I ge' all emotional. Me emotional is worse than a soppy Haz, you've been warned."

Laughing, he pushed the two wizards towards his front door. He gave each a sloppy kiss on the forehead, causing Draco to fake a shudder and Harry to roll his eyes.

Jay watched as his friends headed down the street, both turning to wave at him maniacally.

"Bye, babes!" He yelled down the street.

Synchronised shouts of 'bye, love' and 'miss you, darl' rang up from halfway down the road. He smiled to himself, closing the door. He silently wished them luck, vowing to not lose contact with them.

…

Harry knocked on the door, aware of the eyes watching him through the curtains across the road. The door cracked open, revealing a wary looking Mrs. Figgs before she recognised her young visitors and welcomed them in.

"Good morning, Harry, Draco. I would ask what brings you round but I have a feeling I already know."

"Of course we wanted to visit, Mrs. Figgs. How is your leg doing?"

The elderly lady laughed good naturedly. "I'm fine Harry, thanks. And I've appreciated your visits throughout the summer. The fire's through there, go ahead and use it. I realise you've got no other way of getting to King's Cross. Good luck at Hogwarts, both of you. I'll bet you anything that you'll need it."

Harry smiled warmly at her before disappearing in a whoosh of emerald flames. Draco nodded slightly, silently promising that he'd look after Harry. When he received a grateful nod in response he followed his Tutela into the fire.

…

Harry came back from the small café, two coffees in his hands and the handle of his shrunk trunk around his wrist. His owl cage was now the size of a key ring and he had it dangling from a chain around his neck. Hedwig had left for Hogwarts earlier that day with Flaumig. Harry had been shocked to find that his snowy owl loved the evil bird almost as much as Draco did.

Because of Draco's eagerness to not be late, they'd ended up being the first to arrive at King's Cross. No one was on the wizarding platform yet so they'd decided to waste time around the muggle station. He reached Draco, who was perched lightly on top of his trunk and handed him one of the drinks.

"Here you go, Dray, just as you like it. Lots of milk, a litre of cream and an amount of sugar that would terrify any dentist."

Draco smiled widely, showing off his perfectly straight, white teeth. He removed the lid of the take-away cup, taking a large swig without looking. His eyes bugged and he spluttered loudly, thrusting the offending coffee back at his friend.

"No, just as _you_ like it. Strong, black and unsweetened. Give me that." He made a grab for the other drink, taking a long gulp.

Harry tried to suppress his laughter and failed miserably. "Easy mistake. Could happen to anyone." He took the drink he'd given to Draco by accident back, laughter bubbling traitorously to his lips at his friends shudder.

"That's just…gross. You must have no taste buds."

Harry stuck his tongue out, breathing in a sigh as a bored sounding announcement rang through the station about delayed trains. "Why are we even travelling by train? I mean, we're wizards. There must be a quicker and easier way to do it?"

Draco shrugged half heartedly. "Don't know. I suppose it's an easy way to make sure everyone arrives on time. It also keeps us all in one place; no one can get lost once we're all on board." Glancing at his watch he sighed, sliding off of his trunk. "Come on, we got to go or we'll be late for real this time."

Nodding, Harry followed his Angel as he weaved effortlessly through the crowd, heading for platform 9¾. They walked pass a mass of red-headed children, all heaving trunks, the mother looking around like a startled meerkat that had lost something important. Her eyes fell on Harry and relief washed over her soft features. She looked back to her young daughter, loudly calling so she could be heard.

"The place is packed with muggles, of course."

Draco saw all of this and nudged his friend, leaning to whisper in his ear. "I think someone is after your attention."

Harry nodded, quickly coming to the same conclusion. "I think you're right. But why?"

The blonde thought quickly for a moment, lengthening his strides so that they were further away from the family. "They're the Weasleys. I may be sadly mistaken but I think Dumbledore sent her to find you. Think about it. You were raised by muggles with presumably no knowledge of the wizarding world. The acceptance letter has one strange word in it; muggle. Now Molly Weasley, a devoted light witch and unfortunately a devoted follower of Dumbledore, is out here shouting about muggles. Coincidence?"

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know how to get on the platform. So naturally I would have gone over to the only obviously magical family and asked for their help."

Draco continued, a small frown pulling down the corners of his lips. "And they'd be all over you, exclaiming about the saviour of the wizarding world and you'd feel accepted for the first time in your life, having been raised by abusive family."

Harry finished, nodding his head sadly. "Then I'd stick with them and start to see things from their point of view, becoming an unfortunately devoted follower of Dumbledore. Can't believe people have been trying to control my life since the day I was born and I'm only just starting to realise it."

"Let's get you a little control back then, darl. Come on, I want to scare her shitless."

Raising an eyebrow, the smaller boy chuckled darkly as he stepped towards the red-headed woman, calling over his shoulder. "Is it good or bad that I already know the evil plan running through your head?"

"Good. It only becomes bad when you know my plan before I do."

Smiling, Harry stood in front of Molly Weasley, his features instantly becoming polite and formal. "Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley, could you please stop shouting about muggles? It may draw attention."

Draco moved to stand at his side, a smirk pulling at his pale lips. "Attention is usually an unwanted thing, especially considering who he is and all."

Molly gaped, staring between the two boys.

"H-Harry Potter? A…And Malfoy? Merlin, I'd heard the rumours but…it can't be…"

Harry smirked, a perfect imitation of the one plastered to his Angel's face. "Dray, hun, I think we should leave the poor woman alone. I think we're annoying her."

"Of course, darl, I'd hate to be an annoyance."

They turned simultaneously and Molly shouted after their retreating backs, panic filling her voice.

"No! I mean…can I be of any assistance, Harry?"

Harry whirled around, startled. "How do you know me?"

"I-I was told that you may be having difficulty finding your way around, that you needed help. You could come and find the train with us if you want, no need for Malfoy to get involved."

Draco stepped forward, his lip curling and his arm wrapping itself instinctively round Harry's waist. "My involvement has nothing to do with you. Tell Dumbledore to stay to his own business. Don't give me that look; I know he's behind it all."

The Tutela rolled his eyes at his friend before turning a cold gaze on the woman. "I think my guardian summed it up pretty well. Please excuse us; we wouldn't want to miss the train."

The two wizards strode off hand in hand and disappeared through the wall between platform nine and ten.

Molly Weasley stared on in shock before ushering her children forward. The quicker she got them on the train, the sooner she could leave and report to Dumbledore about everything that's been said.

…

A scarlet steam train was puffing loudly on the railway, letting out a shrill whistle every few moments to let the hundreds of students and parents on the platform know they didn't have long to board. Harry caught sight of Hagrid standing by the front of the train talking animatedly to the driver, his eyes scanning the crowd every few seconds. Their eyes met and the half-giant froze. The large man finally managed to drag his eyes from the young wizard and he quickly walked away. A cold tingle ran down the length of Harry's spine at the thought of someone constantly keeping an eye on him

…

Harry was quickly losing his temper. He could see people huddling in small groups, their eyes continuously searching out him and Draco.

"Please can we get on the train before I explode? I promise it won't be pretty."

Draco let out an evil cackle. "No. let's give them something to talk about. The more half-truths and lies are spread around, the less they really know. If they discover what had really been going on over the last few months, I promise _that_ won't be pretty."

Sighing, Harry plastered a smile on his face and looped an arm around Draco's neck, dragging him down. The blonde laughed and reached up, blindly feeling for the top of Harry's head, mussing up the mess of raven locks tangled in his fingers. The smaller boy released him and ducked out of the reach of his hands, laughter spilling from his lips. Draco gave a small bow and held out his hand. Rolling his eyes, Harry took the offered hand and laced their fingers together in a way they had both become very familiar with over the summer. The older boy placed a light kiss on the crown of his head and tugged him towards the train.

At the steps, Harry left his trunk with his Angel and quickly strode down the narrow corridor, sighing when he saw there were no empty compartments. He headed back towards Draco and stopped at a compartment with only one boy in it. He stuck his head through the door and the boy looked up, relief filling his round face.

"Have you seen my toad?"

Harry stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "No. but if you let me and my friend hide out in here we'll help you look for it."

The boy nodded eagerly and Harry leant out the door, waving for Draco to join him. As he entered the compartment, the stranger stiffened, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

Harry looked between the two, taking his luggage from Draco and throwing it under the bench. "Dray, you were right, normal people do seem to hate you."

The Angel stuck his tongue out and lightly shoved Harry towards a seat. "Would I lie to you, darl?" He flung himself heavily onto the bench, his head falling into his Tutela's lap.

The boy with the round face seemed to finally be able to form words and he spoke up nervously from where he stood by the door.

"Erm…are you...are you Harry Potter and D-err, Malfoy?"

Nodding, Harry pulled out his wand. "Yes we are. Is that a problem?"

"No…I've just been told..." His gaze fell to the wood held loosely in the other wizard's hand. "It doesn't matter."

It took a second for his words to sink in properly but when they did, Harry laughed good naturedly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to look threatening. I promised to help find your toad and I will, but I need my wand for that. Please, what have you been told about us?"

Slowly, the boy sat down on the bench at a right angle to their own. "I've been told that because you got rid of you-know-who, you're really stuck up and vain. Malfoy's are supposed to all be evil. I meant it when I said it didn't matter. I can already tell the rumours are false. I'm Neville Longbottom, pleased to meet you both."

Harry smiled at him and Draco snorted delicately. "Thanks for thinking for yourself and not going along with what everyone else wants you to think." He looked up and caught his Tutela's gaze, lifting a lazy hand to lower his wand. "I don't think so. Sev only took the tracking spell off a few weeks ago and you've only been practicing for half that time. Knowing you, you'll bring every toad within a fifty foot radius crashing down on us." He smirked at Harry's slight blush and flicked his wand, murmuring quietly. "Accio Longbottom's toad."

Neville squealed in delight as a large toad flew towards him. "Trevor! Thanks I-"

His excited babble was cut short by a pair of red-headed twins barging into the compartment. Harry recognised them as belonging to the Weasley family. One stepped in front of his brother, smiling goofily.

"Hi! It's true, isn't it? You're Harry Potter. We swear we had nothing to do with whatever mum said early that pissed you off."

His twin nodded. "Yeah, we were just minding our own business. I'm George, by the way." George nodded in greeting before collapsing on the bench next to Neville, causing the younger to release a nervous squeal.

"And I'm Fred." The other twin stuck his hand out for Harry to shake before quickly drawing it back when he recognised who had his head across the brunette's thighs. "You seem to have a Malfoy on your lap."

Harry's cheerful smile turned cold and he automatically grabbed for his Angel's hand. "Yes I do. Something wrong with that?"

Fred quickly schooled his shocked features into a sarcastic smirk. "Depends. Is he the evil, Death Eater bastard we've been brought up to believe he is?"

Draco chuckled loudly, his thumb tracing random patterns over the back of Harry's hand. "Evil…yeah, a little bit. I'd rather die than become a Death Eater, those robes are really unflattering. Are you the insane twins with the tendency to blow things up?"

Fred held his fist out and waited for the blonde to bump it. "Hell yeah." He joined his brother on the bench.

The five wizards spent the next hour getting to know each other, each getting the feeling that they'd all become close or at least good friends.

…

Harry looked up from his position on the floor when he heard a timid knock on the door. He heard George release an annoyed sigh and saw it was the youngest Weasley son peering through the small window.

"Go away Ron!" Yelled Fred, hurling a cauldron cake wrapper with startling accuracy as his brother entered.

Brushing crumbs from his hair, the red-head's gaze fell on Harry. "Are you really Harry Potter?"

Draco's eyes lifted to meet Ron's, his hands coming to rest on top of Harry's head. The brunette was leaning against his legs and Draco had been making a brave attempt to tame his wild hair without success. "Yes he really is. What's it to you, Weasley?"

Ron's face paled to an unhealthy white, his freckles standing out in stark contrast. "Wha- but…Fred, George! He's a Malfoy!"

Five pairs of glaring eyes fell on him, their owners all speaking in unison. "So?"

Ron did an impressive impression of a puffer fish before whirling around and sprinting through the compartment door. Sighing, George held up a hand, silently counting down from three. As his last finger lowered, his little brother stormed back into the room.

"I'm telling mum of you two!" He left again, tripping over his own feet in his rush for the exit.

The people left behind stared at each other, dissolving into loud fits of laughter.

…

Harry and the others had just shrugged on their school robes and were talking excitedly, Hogwarts castle visible in the far distance if they leaned dangerously far out off the train window.

A loud thud hit against the compartment door and Draco shuddered; another person who's aim seemed to be to insult as many people in the room as possible while gawking at 'the golden boy.' His eyes widened as two thickset, mean looking boys entered.

"Crabbe, Goyle. I would say nice to see you, but I wouldn't want to lie." The lazy drawl had the effect he was aiming for and the thuggish boys turned on him.

"Oi, Draco. What's this? Hanging out with Gryffindor wannabes? Where have you been all summer? Word has it you've been hiding out with light wizards."

The Angel's stared at them, a perfect look of boredom on his pale face. "So what if I have?"

The bigger of the two stepped forward, trying to appear threatening. "You know, our fathers have told us to kill you on sight."

Arching a brow, the youngest Malfoy swung a fist back, landing it hard in the centre of the large boy's face. He smiled at the loud crunching noise. "Good luck with that. Go tell your fathers it's going to take more than a few overgrown baboons to take me down." He lifted his wand and sent an invisible wall into the two boys, shoving them out into the corridor. He slammed the door behind them.

Another knock at the door had him cursing loudly but Harry slapped a hand over his mouth before he could yell something that would have the visiting girl running for the hills. He followed Neville's example and dragged his friend to sit with him on the bench.

A witch with impossible bushy hair and buckteeth bounced into the compartment.

"Hello. Are you all starting this year? Are you all raised in wizarding families? Nobody in my family is magic; it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter. Oh, hi Neville, did you find your toad? Have you seen the castle yet? It's supposed to be-"

Neville cut into her hundred mile an hour babble, chuckling quietly. "Whoah, Hermione, slow down a little. And yes, Draco found Trevor and we have seen the castle."

She smiled nervously. "Sorry, I'm just so excited. I know hardly anything about the magical world. I don't want to get left behind. I'm so worried I won't fit in."

Harry smiled at her warmly, knowing how she was feeling. "I understand. I was raised by muggles too."

Hermione sent him a relieved smile. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. Oh, sorry, how rude of me. I'm Hermione Granger."

Everyone politely introduced themselves, Fred and George kissing her hand, making the witch blush deeply. Harry smiled, making his introductions last.

"Really? You're Harry Potter? I've heard a lot about you. You're in _Modern Magical History_, _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

Draco smirked, wrapping his arm around his Tutela's shoulders. "Hear that, darl? You're in history books. You must be famous."

A quiet ripple of laughter drifted through the room. Suddenly the piercing shriek of the Hogwarts Express filled the train and students began to rush for the exits, hauling trunks and clutching animal cages.

Harry sighed. "Looks like there's no turning back. Come on, I'd hate to be late on the first day."

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	7. Offices and dorms

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N- Gah! Fred and George are in third year, not second. *Quick editing and hope no one noticed*  
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_**A/N- I'm back! I don't know how many people read these random rambles from me, but for all those that do, I have a valid excuse for the late update. It's been a hectic week, hasn't it? I've been working hard to stop myself going broke for the second time this month and been revising for end of year exams, which is always fun. Ah, yeah, then there's the recent bout of depression I've been dragging myself up from. But yeah, enough from me...on with the chapter...**_

...

Harry stared awestruck across the vast expanse of dark water. In the distance a castle stood proudly on a mountain, silhouetted against the starry sky.

"Firs'-years follow me! No more'n four to a boat!" The booming voice of Hagrid instantly turned his pleasant mood sour.

He saw Fred and George waving maniacally at the small group around him as they ran backwards towards a group of third-years.

"See ya! Good luck with the sorting!"

Harry smiled and waved along with Draco, Neville and Hermione. He watched them as they trudged towards a row of carriages pulled by massive, black, skeletal horses, their dark manes whipping away from their reptilian faces in the strong breeze. Huge leathery wings protruded from their broad backs. Draco followed his gaze and smiled sadly.

"They're Thestrels. Very misunderstood animals. You can only see them if you've witnessed death. People think they're dark and evil. I think they're quite beautiful in their own strange way."

Harry nodded; Draco was right. The animals looked powerful and strong but somehow managed to stay sleek and elegant. He refused to think of the events he had seen that allowed him to see the creatures.

Draco grabbed his hand and led the group towards a fleet of boats by the shore of the lake, quickly claiming one as theirs and stepping in gracefully with Neville hot on his heels. Dumping his trunk into a growing pile of luggage, Harry couldn't hold back an eye roll as Draco offered him a helping hand into the boat. He knew he'd humiliate himself more if he fell into the lake, so accepted reluctantly. He shot his friend a warm smile as he offered the same hand to Hermione. He knew the blonde was trying to leave all his old prejudices against muggle born wizards in the past. He leant against Draco's shoulder, his smile growing as his Angel wrapped an arm around his shoulders, chasing away the cold of the night.

…

Professor McGonagall had just given her annual speech to the first-years and was currently leading the terrified children into the Great Hall. She left them standing at the side of the room, going to retrieve the sorting hat and leaving the students to spread their own rumours about what was going to happen. She had to hold in a laugh as the Weasley boy murmured something about wrestling a troll.

Draco heard a small gasp behind him and glanced over his shoulder at his grinning Tutela. Harry was staring at the masses of students looking at them from the huge House tables lining the room. Something caught his eye and he looked up at the enchanted ceiling reflecting the velvety black sky littered with stars brighter than the thousands of floating candles lighting up the Hall. He could hear Hermione whispering to Neville about the powerful spell.

A tattered hat was soon placed at the front of the Hall on a small stool. A large rip near the brim suddenly grew wide and it burst into song. Draco winced at the awful singing but Harry seemed to enjoy it.

When the song was over, McGonagall began to call names alphabetically. He raised an eyebrow as Harry whispered into his ear, predicting which House each first-year would be placed in with startling accuracy. Hermione was called up and Harry fell silent, a look of concentration on his face. He made his prediction of Ravenclaw seconds before the hat bellowed across the room. The bushy haired girl beamed when a second-year moved to offer her a place to sit and the Ravenclaw table burst into applause along with the people she'd shared a compartment with on the train. A silver and blue tie was soon hung around her neck.

Draco sneered as a couple of people he used to call friends were sorted into Slytherin but ignored them in favour of watching Neville. The boy looked terrified and a nervous tremble shook through his hands. Never the less, Harry's prediction came true and he was greeted to Gryffindor with loud cheers. A quick motion of Draco's hand reminded Neville to replace the sorting hat on the stool, saving him from the embarrassment of running off with it.

The Angel was called up next and he shared a smirk with his Tutela before heading to McGonagall. They both knew what to do if things started to go wrong. The hat was placed on his head and he waited patiently for whatever was going to happen, ignoring the not so subtle whispers filling the Hall. He had guessed that most of the students and professors had heard that he was supposedly dead.

"Hmm…" A small voice murmured into his ear. "I'm thinking Slytherin, but I've seen the thoughts that they're directing towards you and I don't think that that sorting would end too well. Hufflepuff would suit you. The loyalty you hold for your friends…for one particular friend…"

"Fuck off." Draco sent the silent thought to the hat, careful not to let any emotion crack his cold mask.

"Fine. So not the well respected, honourable House of Helga Hufflepuff. It appears there is something linked to your sorting, as if you wish to be in a certain House?"

"I don't care where I'm placed, as long as I'm with Harry Potter." He quickly allowed images of their friendship to fill his mind, without giving away the other reason for his request.

"I see. Stubborn, aren't you? What are you willing to do to make sure you're in the same House?"

Draco smirked inwardly. "All you need to know is that you'll look like a fool."

"Threats, Mr. Malfoy? How Slytherin. Hmm…you'd do well in Gryffindor, though, such bravery for someone so young. Defied Voldemort, I see. But no. This mind of yours is truly spectacular, wisdom beyond you're years. RAVENCLAW!"

It bellowed the last word out at the Hall and Draco nodded, placing the hat down gently and walking over to his whispering table. Harry and his friends from the train were the only ones clapping. The rest of the Hall, including the professors, was murmuring amongst themselves. Never had a Malfoy been placed anywhere but Slytherin. Hermione grinned at him and shifted up the bench, allowing the blonde to sit beside her.

A blue and silver tie was reluctantly passed down the table and he politely accepted it but didn't put it on. If Harry wasn't placed into Ravenclaw, they had to move to plan B.

Harry grinned as he watched his Angel sit beside Hermione but couldn't stop a feeling of dread from building in his stomach. No way was he as smart as Draco. He could never be placed in the House famous for its clever students.

A few more people were sorted before it was finally his turn. He trudged towards the Gryffindor Head of House, doing his best to ignore the stares and whispers that followed him. As the hat was plopped on his head he was glad it covered his eyes; it meant he didn't have to see all the upturned faces gawking at him.

"Mr. Potter. Your dear friend over there in Ravenclaw and I were just discussing you. I take it from the thoughts running through your head that the desire for you both to be in the same House was not one-sided?"

Harry let out a deep breath before replying with a thought. "No."

"Oh! This is interesting. It seems you are more open with your mind than Mr. Malfoy. So it really is a…how should we put this? Life or death? No, too cliché. It's a health and safety matter rather than a simple want to be with your best friend? Never would have thought that he'd be an Angel and to be your personal guardian is just wonderful. It's not often I get something as interesting as this. So let's see. Slytherin? You definitely belong there, but I want you to live, you amuse me. Hufflepuff? Erm…no. Hmm…you're definitely intelligent, you've been running a household since you were old enough to walk." The hat gave a small chuckle as a memory was automatically brought up at its words. "I see that's not the only thing you run. Free-running skills greater than or at least equal to most Death Eaters. But unfortunately you're not the book smart that Ravenclaw is after. Courage, bravery, stubbornness, loyalty…yes, there's only one House that'll do. GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry stood and took the hat from his head but didn't move from the front of the room. The loud cheers and shouts died down as he stayed still, Draco and Professor Snape rising from their seats.

Severus began to object but the sorting hat opened up the hole in its brim, its loud voice easily audible to everyone in the Hall.

"Professor, please have a seat. Mr. Malfoy, move to Gryffindor."

The potions master did as he was asked, the small smile playing at the corners of his mouth terrifying all the students close enough to see. Harry grinned and walked to his table, taking a seat between Fred and George when they shifted to make room. Draco made a small bow to the hat, a smirk twisting his pale lips. He squeezed Hermione's shoulder before heading over to the Gryffindors, outraged shouts aimed at his back. The House of Lions fell quiet as he approached and no one even attempted to make room for him to sit. Not having enough space to move, Harry, Neville, Fred and George all stood up, offering their places to him with smiles and eye rolls.

Betrayed, the other Gryffindors protested loudly but a quick scowl from their Head of House had them quieting. Draco laughed, his smile widening.

"Thanks guys, but I'll have to take Haz's place; I couldn't let the rest of you go without a seat."

The twins, Neville and Draco sat, ignoring the glares from their housemates.

"For a dude that was placed in Ravenclaw, you're not the smartest. Where's Harry going to sit?" George said, humour playing in his voice.

The Angel leant back, creating just enough space for his Tutela to raise a leg and step under the table, elegantly manoeuvring himself so that he was sat on Draco's lap.

George slapped his head at his own stupidity. "Of course."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the Hall's attention was quickly turned from the unlikely group of Gryffindors to the rest of the sorting. From his new position, Draco had a clear view of the staff table. He glared at Hagrid when he caught the half-giant staring at him. He smiled at his godfather who was sitting with his usual scowl on his deathly pale face. Only someone who knew what they were looking for would be able to detect the smile hidden in his black eyes.

He felt Harry collapse against his chest and whisper, "Gryffindor."

Looking up, he saw Ron Weasley on top of the stool, the sorting hat falling low over his eyes. He sighed, knowing the boy in his lap was probably right.

Sure enough, Ron's placement was shouted across the Hall and the red-head scrunched up his nose as he headed towards the House of Godric Gryffindor. Most of the table applauded but a small handful of first-years sat in silence. The Weasley twins booed loudly, earning a couple of laughs. Ron sat across from his older brother Percy at the foot of the table, as far away from Draco as he could get. Percy muttered a quick "Well done, Ron, Excellent," Before turning back to chatting up a girl out of his league with the aid of the flashy Prefect badge on his chest.

The headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood, arms spread wide and a twinkle shining in his blue eyes.

"Welcome to a new y-"

"DUCK!"

Harry's outburst interrupted Dumbledore's traditional speech and everyone naturally turned to stare at him. The sight that met their eyes made the Hall take in a collective gasp.

Harry pushed himself away from the table, throwing himself and Draco to the hard floor. People within a five seat radius of the duo flattened themselves to the benches, narrowly missing the vivid green of a crucio as it flew over their heads. Harry, who had been watching a newly sorted Blaise Zabini move to Slytherin, had seen Pansy Parkinson mutter the spell and had shouted his warning with seconds to spare.

Draco rose to his feet, his eyes dark and his mouth pulled back into an almost animalistic snarl. He spoke in barely a whisper but the words still rang clearly through the silent Hall.

"How dare you? Who was that even aimed at? Did _he_ send you?"

The pug-faced girl sneered unattractively. "Of course he sent me. The rest of us are loyal, you betraying bastard. I was told to take you both down, you and your scar faced freak."

Draco screeched in rage, anger rolling of off him. Harry knew that if he didn't step in, the blonde would go into merciless Angel of Death mode. He placed a gentle but calming hand on Draco's right shoulder. His guardian tensed, not being able to see the movement. Harry mentally slapped himself for forgetting the other's blind eye but didn't remove the hand.

"Easy, Dray. Everyone saw what she did. She won't get away with it. Let someone else deal with it."

He felt his Angel's tight muscles slowly begin to relax and nodded to Severus. The dark-haired man smiled darkly, a malicious hint in his jet black eyes.

"Follow me, Parkinson." The professor ordered in a silken voice.

Pansy looked frightened for a second before laughing sarcastically. "What are _you _going to do? Hand me back over to the Dark Lord?"

Severus lightly grabbed one of her gesturing arms, spun her round and began to frog-march her from the Hall. "No. You attempted to harm not only Harry Potter, but my godson. Therefore you are going to a nice, cosy holding cell at the Ministry of Magic."

As they left the students and faculty sat, talking loudly. Harry curled against Draco's chest, taking his hands to steady the excess adrenalin shaking them.

"I…I should have seen that coming. I'm you're guardian, you're protector. Yet it was you're warning that alerted everyone to the danger."

Harry made sure that nobody was paying attention to them and leant up, pecking him on the cheek. "It's not your fault. She was a coward, aiming that spell at your back. There was nothing you could have done. I was lucky to see it."

Dumbledore stood and the Hall fell silent, all eyes falling on him for answers.

"Thanks and fifteen house points are awarded to Mr. Potter for his warning and quick thinking. I think it would be best if we all headed to our respective rooms. Dinner will be brought up to the common rooms. More will be explained as more is understood. All that's left is to remind you that the forest is forbidden to all students. Magic is not to be used in the corridors between classes. Lastly, the third-floor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone that does not want to die a very painful death. Prefects, lead your Houses to their dorms. Misters Potter and Malfoy please join me in my office. Can the head boy of Slytherin please send for Professor Snape to join us when he is available?"

Harry and Draco sat planning quietly as they waited for the Hall to empty. By the time Dumbledore motioned for them to follow him, they knew exactly what was going to be said.

…

Dumbledore clasped his hands in front of his face as he collapsed wearily into an over-stuffed chair. Two first-year students sat across the desk form him on a sofa that sunk low in the middle, causing the boys to lean heavily into each other. Not that they seemed to mind.

A slight breeze swept through the large office as Severus Snape entered, drifting along the floor on silent feet. He scowled at the pink armchair, the only seat available, before perching delicately on the very edge. He shot a mischievous smile towards Harry and Draco before turning a neutral gaze on the headmaster.

Draco relaxed, knowing that his godfather had managed to get Pansy to the Ministry with no problems. Harry smirked gently, remembering when Severus had told him that he only smiled at people who deserved it.

Dumbledore sighed in exasperation, as if everything that had happened was at the fault of the three before him. "Lemon drop? Tea?"

Harry caught the warning flicker in the potion master's eye and politely refused, Draco following his lead.

"So? Pray tell, what happened today? I feel I am being left out of something."

The Angel's hand tightened around Harry's, stopping his Tutela from laughing at the understatement.

"Not at all, Professor Dumbledore."

Harry schooled his features into the perfect look of innocence. "Surely you are aware, sir, that Draco is my magical guardian?"

Sucking in a deep breath, the elderly professor nodded. "Yes…of course. Is it linked in any way to Miss. Parkinson's actions?"

"Draco abandoned Voldemort before he became my guardian. You heard what Parkinson said; maybe the people who are loyal to him were…upset by his betrayal."

Desperate for an explanation for the strange occurrence, the headmaster nodded. "That must be it. But wait, where did the rumours about Mr. Malfoy's death come from?"

Draco thought about his words before carefully replying. "When I didn't return home with my parents after a Death Eater meeting on June 5th, people must have thought I'd been murdered. That's my guess."

Dumbledore nodded tiredly. He had known for a while that the elder Malfoys were Death Eaters, but there was nothing he could do about it, they had too much influence over the Ministry. He glanced questioningly at Harry. "How much do you know about the magical world? I thought you were raised by muggles. I'm surprised you even know about the war and Voldemort. What's more surprising is your ability to say his name. Not many people can even think Voldemort's name without flinching."

Standing, Harry turned to leave, knowing without looking that Draco was hot on his heels. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting Dumbledore's eyes with a cold, hard glare.

"I know enough to realise that people have been purposely keeping me in the dark for most of my life. I know that my parents were murdered, not killed in a car crash like I had been brought up to believe. I know now that family is not supposed work you into the ground and leave you to starve in a locked cupboard. Goodnight, professor."

The headmaster watched as the youngest Malfoy slipped an arm around Harry's too narrow waist and felt his years of careful planning come crashing down around him. He missed the look Severus shot him as he followed the students from the office.

…

Two wizards cast pleading eyes on the Fat Lady, begging her to let them enter the Gryffindor Tower. Proud of doing her job well, she refused.

"Can't you get the Weasley twins or Neville? Please?" Draco asked for the third time.

She sighed, a frown pulling down her plump lips. "I shall get a Gryffindor, but no promises as to whom."

When she disappeared from the frame, Harry couldn't keep his questions in any longer.

"How do they do that? It's like…television but in painting form."

Draco ruffled his dark hair, smiling. "Magic, darl."

The portrait in front of them swung open, the view to the common room blocked by a smirking Ronald Weasley. He glanced at them before speaking to the Fat Lady.

"Nope, don't know them. Probably from a different House."

Fighting down the want to punch the red-head, Draco laced his fingers in front of him. Harry nodded and planted a foot in them, boosting himself to see over Ron's head. He caught sight of the twins and shouted.

"Oi! Fred, George! Come and let us in, your brother's being a prick."

Ron paled as his older brother's each placed a heavy hand on his shoulders.

"Been lying, Ron?"

"Not letting your housemates into their own common room?"

"Mother would be ashamed."

They turned, shoving the younger Weasley back from the doorway, sending him tumbling towards a startled forth-year. They stepped back, allowing their friends entrance.

"Hey, you two. Took your time. Password's _Caput Draconis_. Now, tell us everything."

"Yeah, Dumbledore looked kinda pissed." George added, grinning.

Fred held out a plate piled high with various foods. "Didn't know what you wanted, so saved you both a bit of everything."

Harry nodded in thanks, accepting the plate hungrily. He followed them into a round, cosy room decorated in glaring crimson and gold. Draco winced at the colour scheme, shaking his head. He grabbed his Tutela's hand, settling down on a large, squashy armchair, preparing for a long conversation. Harry sat sideways to him, his legs over the blonde's and feet dangling off the arm of the chair. The plate of food was balanced haphazardly over his knees. He whispered quietly into his Angel's ear and Draco nodded, agreeing that they would tell Fred and George what had happened in the headmaster's office, but not what had happened over the summer. They still weren't sure just how much trust they could put in the twins.

…

Later that night, Harry and Draco trudged tiredly up to the first-year dorm.

Inside, the room was decorated with the same colours as the common room. Six four-poster beds lined the circular room, trunks placed at the foot of each one, presumably brought up by house elves. Draco sighed; he and Harry were split up, their beds on either side of Seamus Finnigan and Neville's. Seamus and Ron were already asleep and Neville was quietly whispering to Dean Thomas, the only other male Gryffindor first-year.

"Hey Neville, you mind if we swap beds? Haz gets really bad nightmares and I'd rather he woke me than the whole dorm."

Harry punched him lightly but nodded his agreement.

The usually nervous boy nodded and started to haul his trunk over to Draco's original bed. Draco smiled in thanks, moving his own things with a flick of his wand.

Dean looked up, frowning, obviously having heard the whole conversation. "How would you know Harry has nightmares? I mean, you both act as if you've known each other for years, but that's impossible. It was only a while ago that the Daily Prophet got pictures of Malfoy in a Death Eater mask." The dark-skinned boy shot a glare at Draco, waiting for a reply.

Neville nodded, shamelessly eavesdropping. "I saw that article. It said that the journalist witnessed you getting the dark mark and everything."

"They never did ask permission to print those pictures. I turned my back on Voldemort when he killed-err…tried to kill me. I've been living with Haz ever since. I suppose if you stay with someone for three months, you get to know them quite well. As to the dark mark, well…" He rolled up his left sleeve, showing of his flawless forearm.

Dean nodded but turned so that he could question Harry. "Do you trust him? This could be some master plan. He could be trying to kill you."

Harry laughed darkly and turned his head on his crimson pillow to meet the boy's eyes. "I'd trust him with my life. I know he's telling the truth, I saw him abandon Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Even if I hadn't been witness, the way he treats me, how he goes out of his way to help and protect me…" He broke off, not knowing how to continue.

"I would never hurt him. I…I just couldn't. I promised to guard him and I would do so at whatever cost." Draco finished quietly.

Neville smiled warmly. "That's good enough for me, welcome to Gryffindor."

With wide-eyes, Dean looked at Draco with a new sense of respect. "I'd heard the rumours, everyone has. We all know that you're Harry's guardian, but why? You're families have always hated each other."

"I'm not part of that family anymore. They disowned me. I'm free to make my own choices and decisions. One of those choices was to either go to h-err, a very bad place or go to Haz."

Harry finished off, standing to start pulling on his pyjamas. "I'm glad he came to me. He opened my eyes to the magical world and even got my family to let me sleep in a room instead of a cupboard. To top it all off, he taught me how to do a standing double back flip without landing on my arse."

Dean joined in the laughter, pressing a finger to his lips as Ron rolled over. He vowed to never again judge someone without getting to know them first.

…

Harry stirred, unable to get to sleep. He shook his head at himself, questioning his behaviour. The bed was large and soft and the covers warm but light. He knew what was wrong, but he refused to admit it. Something - no _someone_ - was missing. He'd grown used to the feeling of warmth and protection that Draco gave him.

Sighing, he drew back the hangings and stood, seeing a soft glow escaping the gaps in the curtains around the blonde's bed. He glanced around to make sure that nobody else was awake and quietly pulled back the heavy fabric. His Angel's face looked up, startled, before relaxing.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked with a smirk, cancelling the lumos on his wand and dropping the book he had been reading to the floor. Patting the space next to him, he smiled at the look on his Tutela's face.

Taking the offered place, Harry lay down, curling into a ball against Draco's chest. "Yeah. I-It…I don't…"

"It felt weird to be alone? I know what you mean. For some reason I miss having you here, invading my space and kicking me in your sleep." Draco murmured, his chin resting on top of Harry's unruly black hair.

Harry chuckled quietly before falling into a peaceful yet dreamless sleep.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	8. Rumours and broomsticks

_**For a summary, warning and disclaimers, see chapter one.**_

_**A/N- So, This ones used to clear up a few things as well as moving the plot on. And yes, if you haven't realised yet, I am sticking quite close to the original plot. Oh, and to make up for all the broken deadlines over the last few weeks, I've made this one extra long. So...On with the next chapter...**_

...

Draco woke with a start as the boy nestled in his arms bolted upright.

"What time is it? Am I late? He's gonna kill me!"Harry panicked, is voice rising to a near shout.

Placing a soothing hand on the brunette's shoulder, Draco smiled up at his friend. "Hey, relax. Look around. We're at Hogwarts, remember?"

Harry breathed deeply, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "So I…sorry. I've never slept in this late before. Feels strange."

Draco glanced at the small clock on his bedside table, groaning at the time displayed.

"Haz, darl, it's twelve minutes past seven on a Sunday morning. I wouldn't call that sleeping in."

Sticking his tongue out, Harry made to punch him lightly on the arm but froze at a loud cough coming from outside the curtains. Only now did he register the sound of quiet whispers filling the dorm room. Draco shot him a grimace.

"Looks like your little outburst attracted the attention of our Housemates. Off you go then, they're probably wondering if I've brainwashed you or something."

"You're going to leave me to fend for myself and answer their questions alone?"

Nodding, Draco gave him a small shove. "That's the plan. They hate me and they like you, therefore you have the bigger chance of not getting hexed. Go on, where's your Gryffindor bravery?"

"It ran away when yours did. Fine. Wuss." He stuck his tongue out, softening the insult. His Angel smiled and nodded towards the curtains.

He was met by a wall of silence as he came out into the main part of the dorm. A silence he just had to break.

"Erm…hi."

Neville, Dean, Seamus and Ron all started to talk as one, taking his awkward words as a sign to begin their questioning.

"What's going on?"

"Why are you with Malfoy?"

"Are you alright?"

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Harry breathed deeply and nodded to Neville, glad for the excuse the boy had unknowingly given him.

"Yeah, that's right. Like Draco said yesterday, I suffer from nightmares. I got up and went to talk to him and I guess I just fell asleep without meaning to. How much did you hear, by the way?"

Three of the four nodded in acceptance but Ron didn't seem to buy it. He took it upon himself to answer Harry's question with a smirk.

"Everything from "He's gonna kill me'. We thought you were calling for help. Why were you talking to him? I mean, he's a Malfoy. He's probably got a dark mark and everything."

Harry rolled his eyes towards the ceiling in frustration. "Call for help? In that case you did a wonderful job of helping me by coming up with gossip and rumours that are probably false. And he doesn't have a dark mark. He doesn't even want to be a Death Eater. Neville and Dean can prove that."

Dean nodded and backed up his claim. "Yeah, he told me and Neville that he's turned his back on Voldemort and even his family. We've seen his arm and it's clean."

Seamus ran a hand through his sandy hair, calling over his shoulder with a strong Irish accent as he went to shower. "I believe them."

Ron stared at Harry for a moment, not sure how to voice his question.

"Are you two like…together, then?"

The Tutela's brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes darkening as Draco finally came through the curtains to stand beside him.

"Excuse me?"

The Angel laughed out loud and pointed between himself and Harry a few times as if that explained everything. At the still confused look on his friend's face, he let out a small giggle before speaking.

"Haz, he thinks we're a couple."

"No!" He turned to face the red-head in front of them. "We're close friends that just happen to have lived together for the last three months. Yeah, he's got a point Dray, it's not exactly normal."

Draco shrugged and began walking towards the door that lead to the showers as Seamus came out in a cloud of steam. "We're not exactly normal. Hurry up, I'm hungry."

Harry sighed but nodded, following his Angel from the dorm. He didn't notice as Ron leant towards Seamus and whispered into the Irish boy's ear.

"I'm still not convinced. They're hiding something and I'm determined to find out what."

…

Harry looked up and smiled as Fred and George sat across from them at breakfast. Fred handed him his phone back with a smug look on his face.

"You got it to work?" Harry asked, seeing on the small screen that it had full battery and signal.

"Of course. Had it up and running five minutes after you gave it to us last night. Seems dad's obsession with muggle stuff paid off. It won't ever run out of charge and that thing it needs about being close to a tower or whatever will hopefully stay strong."

Harry laughed and nodded in thanks, wondering how they could know how to work with muggle devices without actually knowing much about what they were doing. His laughter died as a mischievous light shone in their eyes.

"So, how's Hogwarts' newest couple doing?"

It took all of Draco's willpower not to choke on his pumpkin juice. Swallowing carefully, he looked at Fred pleadingly.

"Not you as well?"

George cast a silencing charm around the small group, the spell going unnoticed by the surrounding students. "What do you mean? Ron told us that you're together. Then he told Parvati and Lavender. I think it was their work that managed to get it round the rest of the school. Don't tell me Ron's lying?"

Harry slammed his head heavily onto the table and Draco gave a yelp at the sharp pain he hadn't been expecting. Ignoring the twins questioning eyes he gave them a dejected look.

"Yeah, well-not…I can see why he'd think that. But…" He looked over at the brunette beside him. "Don't take this the wrong way but I'm going to talk as if you weren't here. Best way to explain it."

Waving a hand, Harry smiled. "Do what you want; I know I don't act around you like a friend normally would. I have an idea why, I want to see if you think the same."

Draco nibbled delicately at a corner of toast, thinking over his words. He looked at the twins, who were waiting patiently. "How would you feel if you were abused and neglected by your family for ten years and your only company was an insane kid with a Mohawk?"

"Terrible. I'd spend all my time with the crazy kid just to get away." Fred said with a sad smile on his lips.

Harry watched with interest as Draco continued his explanation. "Right. And that's what Harry did. Jay became a brother to him. Someone he could have fun with and look up to. Carrying on with this, how would you act if after these ten years, someone came to your house and promised to help you? How would you treat the one person that makes you their priority?"

George's eyes flew open in surprise. "I'd hold onto that person with both hands and never let them go."

Draco propped an elbow on the table and held up his hand. Smiling, Harry clasped it between both of his own.

Understanding dawned on the twins and Fred spoke for both of them. "So…that happened to Harry? For ten years? Then you showed up?"

Harry nodded, absently tracing patterns on his Angel's palm. "I don't mean to be clingy. I know Dray probably gets annoyed with me but…it's like I have to remind myself he's here. Like if he goes go away I'll wake up from a dream and it'll all be over and I'll be back in my cupboard at the Dursley's."

Draco shot Harry a disbelieving smile. "How many times do I need to tell you that I don't mind before it sinks into that head of yours? I could push you away but I don't because I don't care. I promised you I wouldn't leave."

Fred gave a dramatic sniff and began to sob into his brother's shoulder. George patted him on the head and nodded to Draco.

"This is all very moving and emotional so I'll cut you a deal. We'll spread a believable rumour around that'll counteract the couple rumour if you tell us why you put up with him."

Feeling Harry's eyes on him, he turned to look into the huge orbs that glowed emerald even through his glasses. The Tutela gave him a small smile.

"Yeah. Why do you put up with me?"

"Haz, for the last time, I don't 'put up with you'. You're my best friend, my housemate and roommate, you're the one keeping me in the land of the living and you can cook. Just remember when you hurt, I hurt. When you cry, I cry. But it works for everything else. You smile, I smile. You're happy, I'm happy."

George cancelled his silencing charm and Fred leant over him to yell down the table to Lavender Brown.

"Oi, Lavender! Draco stopped Harry getting hurt, they're close and that's it."

She took a moment to process the new information before joining a group of Hufflepuffs leaving the hall to spread the news.

Draco shuddered. "Eugh, I hate gossips. I give it twelve minutes before the whole school hears it."

…

Harry collapsed into a chair beside Draco, waiting for the rest of the students and the professor to enter the potions classroom. Draco smirked, not having to ask to know that Harry had had a tough day. Being pureblood, he knew all the basics but Harry had had to start from the beginning. Even the small spells the Angel had taught him hadn't prepared him for Binns' droning and McGonagall's lectures. Although his Tutela did seem to be a natural when it came to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

His smirk dropped as he registered the dark circles under Harry's eyes and his messier then usual hair. It was their first day of lessons but Harry hadn't slept much the night before. He had been determined not to make a fool of himself on the first day and had been up flicking through his text books.

"Haz, darl, you look like shit."

He saw a comment begin to form on his lips but Snape chose that moment to enter the classroom.

The professor nodded slightly to them before a scowl was put in place and he began to call the register. He paused at Harry's name with a raised eyebrow.

"Harry Potter. Our new – _celebrity_."

Instead of getting offended, Harry saw through the remark and took it in the way it was intended. He stood and gave a low bow, gaining a few snickers from the Gryffindors around him.

Severus nodded again before continuing. He gave a small speech designed to intimidate the first-years and decided to show of the knowledge of his two favourite students.

"Harry!" He snapped, holding back a smirk at his student's startled reaction. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"

Harry shot him a wide-eyed look before it dawned on him. He remembered accompanying Severus into the apothecary in Diagon Alley and recalled the professor pointing out ingredients.

"A powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death, sir." He received the smallest of smiles for his memory skills.

"Excellent. One points to Gryffindor." He ignored the whispers about the Gryffindor hating professor suddenly giving them House points for the first time in his career. Turning to face his godson, he ignored the blonde's arched eyebrow. "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

The rest of the class aside a handful of Slytherins were sat dumbfounded but the he answered with confidence. "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat. It is an antidote to most poisons."

"Good. Another point to Gryffindor. It seems my earlier assumption about you all being dunderheads was incorrect. Now, let's see about the Slytherins." His quick eyes scanned the room, seeking out one of the two Slytherins that were too stupid to look scared. "What is the difference, Goyle, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

The boy stared at him with unblinking eyes before raising a thick thumb to point at his own chest as if wondering who the question was directed at. At his professor's curt nod he gave a shrug of his large shoulders.

Rolling his eyes, the potions master curled a lip in annoyance. "I'm sure you'd care a little more if it was slipped into your pumpkin juice? For your information, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Most of the class began to snicker and he cast a death glare over them that made the room fall silent. "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

…

Harry sat back with a happy smile on his face. His and Dean's potion was finished with ten minutes to spare. After seeing the horror on Neville's face when Severus announced they'd be brewing that lesson, Draco had offered to be his partner in an attempt to keep the Gryffindor half of the class in their professor's good book. The group were also determined not to give the Slytherins any reason to up the hatred they were already showing them.

Suddenly a loud trilling filled the quiet room and Harry jumped up as he frantically searched for his phone. He managed to find it just as it gave a last beep. Before he could hide it back in his robe pocket, Severus's cold voice reached his ears.

"A text, Harry? Give."

Cursing the blush he could feel rising in his cheeks, Harry reluctantly handed over the mobile.

Severus pressed buttons with practiced ease and smirked at the message displayed on the small screen.

"Class, this is what happens to those who disrupt my lessons; public humiliation and the deduction of House points. This device is what muggles use to communicate by either talking through it or sending written messages." He cleared his throat and held the phone before him, obviously showing that he was reading from the screen. "Haz, my darl. Missing my bros, you better get your arses down here for Christmas. Tell Blondie he still owes me the right hand to several pairs of gloves. Love and kisses." He broke off and threw the phone back to Harry, who caught it with one hand as he tried to cover his deep crimson face. He noticed that his godson was laughing along with the rest of the class, seemingly not bothered about his friend's embarrassment. "Oh, and five points from Gryffindor."

The Tutela glanced at the text and sighed in relief as the bell loudly announced the end of the lesson.

…

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Harry looked up from where he was attempting to write a transfiguration essay to meet the silver eyes of Draco sitting opposite him.

"Err…yeah? First day and we've already got homework from Flitwick, an essay from McGonagall and I swear Snape has it in for me."

"Of course he does. He has it in for both of us, we're Gryffindors, remember? Look on the bright side; at least we're only with Slytherin for potions."

Before Harry could reply a knock on the door of the Gryffindor common room had their heads swivelling round. A Prefect got up to see what it was and an out of breath Hermione was revealed standing in the entrance. The Prefect raised an eyebrow before turning to face her House.

"Anyone expecting her here?"

Harry waved a hand and the bushy haired girl was allowed entrance. She nodded in thanks and headed over to sit beside Draco, Neville quick on her heals. The Weasley twins watched for a moment before they began to wander over.

"Hey, Hermione. Good to see you. From the look on your face you're here for a reason and not just for a chat?" Harry asked, laying his quill down.

"Have any of you read the _Daily Prophet_ yet?"

All the purebloods shook their heads and Fred spoke for all of them. "Nah, it's usually full of shit. If anything's worth reading in there someone will come and tell us about it."

Shaking his head, Harry frowned in confusion. "And I have no idea what it is. Magazine or newspaper or something?"

Hermione nodded and pulled that day's copy from her ever-present book bag. "Newspaper. Look! There's been an update on the Gringotts break-in. Apparently nothing was stolen and it was emptied earlier on the same day. Strange, don't you think?"

Neville took the paper and read it while thinking aloud. "Very strange. Why would someone go through all the trouble of breaking into Gringotts just to leave empty-handed? They must have been desperate or had limited time to get whatever was in that vault to not have checked that it was actually there."

Draco shrugged, reading over the boy's shoulder and watching as an official looking goblin walked across the picture. "Probably, unless the _Prophet_ is blowing it out of proportion like usual. I guess we'll hear more about it later if it's of any real importance."

…

Groaning loudly, Harry took Draco's hand in his, wanting reassurance as they trudged towards the Quidditch grounds for their first flying lesson.

"Haz, relax. You're not the only one who's never flown before."

"You know that's not what I'm worried about, Dray." He glanced over his shoulder at the group of Slytherins walking behind them, whispering and throwing them poisonous glares.

Draco put an arm over his narrow shoulders, making it impossible for his friend to look back. "What're they going to do? Throw an insult? A badly aimed stinging hex? If they actually manage to throw you from your broom, I'll be there to catch you and go into my 'merciless Angel of Death' mode as you so lovingly put it."

Harry stuck his tongue out but smiled. "Fine."

Neville came up to them at that moment, a glowing red Remembrall in his hands. "I don't suppose you guys know what I forgot?"

Shrugging, Draco held out his hand, silently asking for a look. It stayed red in his hand and he frowned. "No, sorry. You know what I've forgotten?"

Looking at his Angel, Harry stared at the top of his blonde head. "To comb your hair?"

Panicked, Draco's hands flew up, trying to detect if even a single hair had dared to become out of place. He saw Harry and Neville choking back laughter and threw the ball back to its owner. "You're evil. Anything. You could have said _anything_. But the hair? Too far."

"Vanity is a curse, Dray." Harry replied, ducking below a swat aimed to the back of his head.

Draco ignored Neville's laughter in favour of shoving his shoulder into Harry, sending the smaller boy into a tree. "I'm not vain! I just happen to care about my appearance. Unlike you, bird nest." He said, ruffling a hand through Harry's messy locks.

"Hey, it's clean, what more do you want? Besides, I can pull of the bed-head look." He put his hands on his hips in the classic model pose, laughing along with his friends.

"There it is! That ego I spent so long building is back!" Draco declared, slinging his arms over Harry and Neville (who were both shorter) and forcing them to run as Madam Hooch raised her whistle to signal the start of the lesson.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" She barked and sent out a shrill whistle. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry decided that he already disliked this teacher who had short gray hair and sharp, yellow, hawk-like eyes. He glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom and say 'UP!'" The professor shouted, beginning to sound more and more like a stereotypical sergeant.

Harry was delighted when his broom jumped into his hand on the first try and shared a smile with Draco, who had his in his left hand. He looked to see that they were two of the few who had managed to get their brooms to do what they wanted.

"They're like horses, can tell when you're afraid." Draco murmured, nodding to a terrified looking Neville.

Madam Hooch walked over to them with a sigh. "Mr. Malfoy, I thought I said right hand?"

"I'm left-handed, Madam."

She narrowed her eyes at him but continued on to help another student when he didn't move the broom to his opposite hand. She showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and began to walk up and down the rows of pupils, correcting grips and positions. When she reached Draco, she sighed again.

"Mr. Malfoy. That is completely wrong. Please mount the way I showed you. You will never get far in Quidditch sitting like that. By the looks of it, you've been flying the wrong way for years."

Ron Weasley laughed from in front of them, shamelessly eavesdropping.

Rolling his eyes, Draco turned back to the professor. "Try telling the French National Quidditch Team that."

"Excuse me?"

Draco took a moment to settle his robes elegantly around him. "I'm French, professor. This is how we mount. Our Quidditch team seems to have done quite well, so I think I'll stick to what I know." As he'd been expecting, his answer killed the laughter of Ron and the few Slytherins around him and made Madam Hooch glare before she moved on.

"Now class, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly." The professor raised her eyes to the sky in annoyance. "Or in Mr. Malfoy's case, lean back. On my whistle, three…two…"

Neville pushed off early, shooting into the air. His friends called him to come back down and he leaned forward, losing his balance. Harry watched in horror as he slipped sideways off the broom, automatically casting a cushioning charm. He saw Draco's wand rise out of the corner of his eye and knew his Angel had done the same thing. Neville landed hard and passed out but was prevented from broken bones by the twin charms. His broom kept drifting up and headed towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy." Hooch called out, levitating Neville's body in front of her. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'."

Ron smirked after them as Madam led Neville towards the castle. "Did you see that? The great idiot."

Draco stared at him with disdain, dropping his broom to his feet so he could plunge his hands into the deep pockets of his school robe. "How can you say that? He's your Housemate! It's not his fault he hasn't flown before."

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Taunted a tall, thin boy Draco recognised as Theodore Nott.

"Look!" Shouted Ron, cutting of the blonde's poisonous reply. He darted forward and snatched something from the grass. "It's that stupid thing Neville's gran sent him."

Harry reached out a hand for the Remembrall. "Give that here, Ron." He said quietly. Everyone stopped to see what was happening.

The red-head sneered unattractively "I'd rather leave it for Neville to collect. Up a tree, maybe."

"Don't be a git! Give it here!" Harry's yell went ignored as the youngest Weasley son mounted and flew up into the sky.

Draco groaned at the terrible flying skills and mounted his own broom, seeing Harry do the same.

"Stay here, Haz, I'll get it."

Harry shook his head stubbornly and took off, Draco on his heels. Screams, yelps and even a few whoops followed them as they climbed higher. The brunette turned sharply to face Ron and Draco moved into position behind him to stop any retreat.

"Give it over, Weasley. I'm a better flyer and Haz here seems to be a natural."

As if to prove his point, Harry leant forward and shot towards Ron like a javelin and Draco sent his broom in a back flip to give him room to go underneath Ron to prevent him getting to the ground.

Panicked, Ron gave a look around as if trying to find an answer written in the sky. "Catch it if you can!" He shouted, throwing the Remembrall high and streaking towards the ground when Draco was forced to move so the ball didn't hit him in the head.

The Tutela met his Angel's eyes and they both plummeted to the ground in unison. They corkscrewed around each other, both desperate to catch the Remembrall before it smashed on the pitch. The wind picked up, sending the ball sideways and the two wizards pulled out of the suicide dive, their feet brushing the very tips of the grass. Harry reached out a hand and managed to grasp the ball but the momentum sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Land it! ROLL!" Draco yelled, coming to a running landing in time to see Harry roll and stand, the ball clasped to his chest.

"HARRY POTTER! DRACO MALFOY!"

Draco winced and turned to face McGonagall, his hand automatically reaching out to Harry's.

"Never in all my time at Hogwarts – how dare you? Could have broken your necks!" She screeched, he Scottish accent becoming more prominent in her anger.

Several Gryffindors began to loudly blame Ron but the professor ignored them. "Both of you follow me, now."

The two students followed her to the castle silently. Harry used his thumb to write a message on Draco's hand as they swept through the long corridors.

'_We gunna be expelled?_' He had to concentrate to work out the letters he could feel being traced onto his own hand.

'_Don't know.' _Draco gave him a small, reassuring smile even though he knew the blonde was panicking inside.

McGonagall came to a halt outside a classroom in the charms corridor and knocked once before poking her head in.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

The two wizards sighed in relief as Wood turned out to be a burly fifth-year boy who they vaguely recognised from the Gryffindor Tower.

"Follow me, you three." Snapped the transfigurations professor and led them into an empty room. "Potter, Malfoy, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, one of these two is going to be you new seeker. The other would be a great addition to any other part of the team."

Draco grinned and Harry smiled, knowing that whatever the professor was talking about was good.

Wood looked up, startled, from where he was lazily leaning against the door. "Are you serious, professor?"

"Absolutely. They both came out of a fifty-foot dive without a scratch. Potter leapt from his broom to catch some ball thing and Malfoy's warning had him landing expertly. Malfoy flies with deadly skill that makes me wonder who his teacher was and Potter is a natural."

Wood looked at them with respect in his eyes and held out his hand for them to shake. "I'm captain of the Quidditch team and I'm the one that you're going to end up hating due to my famously cruel training. Now…who would be best for Seeker? They're both the right build, light, speedy. They'd need brooms, obviously." He said the last part in a murmur as if talking to himself.

Draco spoke up before McGonagall could even open his mouth. "Haz would be better. He's smaller then me and he's also the one that actually caught the Remembrall. Plus my judgement is sometimes out, especially when it comes to objects as small as the snitch. I'm blind in my right eye."

Harry smiled and Wood nodded in agreement. "Yeah, okay. Potter for Seeker but what about you? I'd hate to see talent wasted and I've been meaning to kick a few people off the team anyway."

McGonagall shot him a when-were-you-planning-to-tell-me-this look and he smiled sheepishly.

"I think Mr. Malfoy would make an excellent Beater." She said. "I want to see George Weasley moved to keeper, the current one is poor at best. I think Malfoy's rather…protective behaviour towards Potter will heighten his ability to keep the Bludgers away from him."

Wood nodded again and smiled at the younger wizards before him. "Good. See you both next week for training."

Beaming, McGonagall led the first-years away. "I want to hear you're both training hard, or a may change my mind about not punishing you." She stopped and smiled at Harry.

"Your father would have been proud. He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." She looked to Draco, her smile becoming strained. "Your father would be as well, I'm sure."

They nodded in thanks before running off to tell their friends the news.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	9. Duels and flying

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A****N-****Sorry for the long wait but here you go.** **Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Years and best wishes for 2012. Credit to Alynxion for inspiring me to add the sarcastic Angel part. So...hope you enjoy...**_

...

"I challenge you to a wizard's duel. What's the matter, never heard of one before?"

Harry looked at the tall, lanky boy in bemusement, a memory of Draco calling him Theodore Nott surfacing in his mind. Before he could make a fool of himself and ask what Nott was talking about, Draco spoke up.

"Course he has. I'm his second. What's the matter, don't have one?"

Nott cursed himself for coming over to the Gryffindor table, now the only two Slytherins nearby were Crabbe and Goyle. The two had taken to following him around like lost puppies when Draco had abandoned them.

"Crabbe. Midnight alright? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked." Nott turned to leave but paused when he saw Draco nod to him.

"Just out of curiosity, what's the reason behind the challenge?"

Despite his height, Nott still had to look up at Draco as he replied with a smirk. "You, of course. We figured you're a bit of a glory supporter. We look weak; you turn to Potter and the Gryffindorks. We show you how weak Potter is and you return to us. Simple."

The blonde could almost sense the mixture of emotions running through Harry's head. Determined to prove the Slytherin wrong and banish any doubt his Tutela could be feeling he met Nott's eyes with a cold stare.

"I didn't leave because your side was weak. I left because it was the right thing to do. I left because I didn't agree with what _he_ believed in and was doing to achieve his goals." He turned to leave and felt Harry move to stand by his side. They left the Hall without a backwards glance at the three glaring Slytherins.

Harry spun Draco around as soon as they were out of earshot. "What's a wizard's duel and what do you mean you're my second?"

"A second takes over if you die. So it was kind of stupid for me to volunteer seeing as when you die, I die." He began to continue walking but the look on the brunette's face had him pausing. "Relax. Neither of you know enough magic to do more than shoot a few sparks at each other. A second's just there for tradition. To be honest, he probably thought you'd refuse."

"Alright, fine. But what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Hasn't Jay taught you anything? Throw it away and punch him."

…

"Hey, time for you to go beat a Slytherin."

Harry groaned and rolled over, throwing an arm over his eyes to shield them from the harsh light emitting from Draco's wand. "Okay! Just turn that thing off."

Draco dimmed the lumos to a soft glow and pulled a robe over his pyjamas before throwing one to his Tutela. He heard a loud rustling coming from a nearby bed and froze, waiting for silence that didn't come.

"Oi, you two! You leaving?" shouted an Irish voice, startling the rest of the dorm awake.

"Thanks Seamus." Harry called as he pulled boots onto bare feet.

Seamus got up from his bed, fully dressed apart from shoes. "I'm going with you. Just in case Nott does something stupid. I've always wanted an excuse to hex him."

Dean nodded in agreement from his position on his bed, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yeah we've all heard about the duel. I'm coming, I bet there will be more than one Slytherin and I bet they'll cheat. And we're one Gryffindor down; Neville still ain't back from the hospital wing."

"Harry's going to duel a pureblood Slytherin? He's got no chance. I've got to see this." Ron sneered as he followed the others out of the dorm. He seemed oblivious to the dark looks he received from the other male first-years.

As the group came into the common room Fred and George Weasley spun round in muggle office-style chairs, their hands in front of their chests and their fingertips drumming together.

"We've been expecting you." The twins murmured in unison. They kept the identical evil looks on their faces for a split second before erupting into peals of laughter.

"Ah, I've always wanted to do that." Fred managed to gasp out. "Anyway, we have been expecting you. We heard about the duel and we thought you'd want to know that one Theodore Nott is sound asleep in the dungeons."

George released the transfiguration spell on the office chairs and they turned back into crimson armchairs. He followed his brother back to the stairs leading to the boy's dorms and Harry caught the brief glimpse of a thick piece of parchment as it was shoved deep into a pocket.

Before he completely disappeared into the darkness, George poked his head out of the arch that lead to the stairs. "Oh, you might want to let Neville in." They vanished, leaving the confused first-years behind.

Harry raised an eyebrow before walking over to the entrance of the common room. Sure enough, on the other side of the portrait was an unconscious Neville Longbottom. He crouched down and realised the larger boy wasn't injured as he had first suspected, just asleep. He slung one of Neville's arms over his shoulders and stood, heaving the other back through the portrait and smiling in relief as someone thought to cast a feather light charm on the unconscious boy. As soon as they were through he shoved Neville onto a couch, wondering how he could still be asleep.

Draco breathed in deeply before stepping past Harry to give Neville a rough shake, smirking as he gave a startled yelp. "Come on, you can't expect Haz to carry you up to the dorm and I can't hear anyone else volunteering."

Neville stared at him in confusion before nodding tiredly and following his dorm mates who were already heading up the stairs. When they entered the dorm he headed straight to his bed and collapsed onto it, his soft snores soon filling the room.

Ron shook his head in disgust and he gave Neville's foot a rough shove as he went past to get to his own bed.

"Leave him alone, Weasley. Madam Pomfrey must have given him a sleeping draught; can't you smell the valerian and lavender on his breath?" Draco said as he climbed into bed, Harry coming to sit on the foot.

The red-head scowled, flicking his wand to extinguish the lights before everyone was ready. "Oh great, a Death Eater ex-Slytherin who's also a potions nerd." His complaining cut of as several items were thrown at him. Even in the dark a book and a shoe managed to hit their targets.

…

"Haz?"

"Hmm?" he looked up from the essay he'd been attempting to write. Hermione always made sure everyone did their homework as soon as it was set so she, Harry, Draco and Neville were huddled around a stack of books in the library.

Draco put his quill down and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm bored."

Hermione scowled at him, her hand still flying across the parchment even as she looked up. "You wouldn't be bored if you were concentrating more on finishing your Defence Against the Dark Arts essay and less on how many balls of paper you can drop on Harry's head before he realises."

The Tutela automatically ran a hand through his hair and a shower of screwed up pieces of parchment fell to the floor. He glared at his Angel but Draco just grinned and shoved a pile of work towards Hermione.

"I've done my homework. And Harry's obliviousness is funny. But now I'm bored."

Harry drew his wand from his robe pocket to clear the mess but paused as his eyes fell on the intricate wings of the wand holder. Slowly he looked up and caught the blonde's eyes before looking pointedly between Draco and the wings. "Come flying with me? We need the practise."

Draco's eyes brightened in understanding and he smiled enthusiastically. He stood and packed up his things, seeing Harry do the same. He saw Neville out of the corner of his eye run a finger along the line of emeralds decorating Harry's wand holder.

"Wish we had heirlooms as decent as this."

Harry brushed a wing almost lovingly before replacing it into his pocket. "It's not; Dray got me it for my birthday."

"Wow. He's got good taste. But why wings?"

Hermione looked up from her work and stared at him questioningly and Harry suddenly found the whole group looking to him for an answer he couldn't give. Thankfully Draco stepped in before he could spout some random excuse that wouldn't fool anyone.

"Just a private thing we came up with while living at Privet Drive. Nothing interesting." He winked at his Tutela when Neville nodded and continued to study with Hermione. "You ready?"

Harry nodded and shrunk their school bags before slipping them into his pocket.

…

"What do I do?"

Harry looked up from where he was studying the broom he'd borrowed from the Quidditch supplies shed, surprised that Draco had finished with the notice-me-not charms on the pitch. "They're your wings; surely you know how to make them work?"

Draco poked a wing experimentally but it still wouldn't do what he wanted it to. "They're not doing anything!"

"But you've extended and used them before, right? I've seen them enough times." Harry asked, running a hand delicately over the arch of a huge dove-gray wing, pausing as Draco shivered under the touch.

"That felt weird. It's weird having feathers. I've extended them but never actually made them do something on purpose. It was always on instinct. I can feel that they're there and I know what I have to do to get them to move but they won't do it. Like trying to wiggle your ears." He groaned as Harry pulled his hair back and twitched his ears without touching them. "Show off."

Harry stepped back behind his Angel and dropped his broom before placing his hands on the join where skin met feathers. He pulled the tattered shirt from Draco's shoulders and applied pressure to the outside of the base of the wing urging them to flap forward before moving his hands to bring them back. "See? You can do it."

Draco concentrated on the movement as Harry moved his wings for him. Slowly he flexed the new muscles, his wings fluttering unaided.

"Told ya. Think you can fly?" Harry asked with a grin, picking his broom back up.

"Course I can. I'm an Angel, what's the point of an Angel if it can't fly?" Draco replied, his wing beats growing quicker and stronger, allowing him to lift a few inches off the ground before dropping back down.

"Yeah, an Angel that's called a Fallen. Maybe you're destined to just…" He laid a palm out flat and held his other hand in a fist above it. He dropped the fist onto his palm with an audible smack and imitated an explosion with his fingers.

Determined to prove him wrong, Draco tried again and this time managed to get a few feet into the air before falling. Harry mounted his broom and took off, hovering beside Draco's head. He stretched his arms down and the blonde took his hands.

"Alright, now fly." Harry urged, pushing the broom higher. "Oh, don't look down."

Slowly the two rose higher and higher into the air. Draco kept his attention on keeping his wing beats steady and resisted the urge to look down at how far up they were. He felt his Tutela's grip loosen and he panicked, holding on tighter.

"Dray, relax. You're keeping yourself up. Let go and continue doing…whatever you're doing and you'll be fine. Trust me."

Draco nodded and let go, his gaze staying locked on Harry as they hovered at the same height. "Haz, look! I'm flying!"

"No you're hovering. Catch me and I'll admit you can fly." The brunette said with a smirk before he zoomed off, heading towards the commentator's box.

The Angel shouted colourful insults after him but Harry ignored him in order to perch on the ledge of the viewing window, seemingly unconcerned by the sheer drop below his dangling feet. He rested the broom across his lap and held his hand out to Draco, his fingers curling twice in the universal sign of 'come here'. Draco cursed again before putting his mind to the impossible task of moving in a direction that wasn't up. He tilted his body forward, his wings instinctively flaring out to keep him balanced. He tried again, this time lying flat, his arms spreading out to the sides to improve his stability. Flapping his wings experimentally he yelped in surprise as he shot forward like a cork from a bottle. A few feet away from Harry he forced himself upright and spread his wings in an attempt to brake. He grinned at the other boy as he came to a stop seconds before collision.

"Nice, I'm impressed. You seem to be getting the hang of it. But you still haven't caught me." Harry said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He grabbed the broom and used it to gently nudge Draco out the way.

Draco allowed himself to be moved, staring questioningly at the other boy. Harry grinned and stood, walking backwards as far as he could without falling into the box. Suddenly he ran forward and leapt, plummeting to the ground. Before Draco could even move he brought the broom underneath him and flew off towards the other side of the pitch.

"You bastard!" The Angel yelled before whirling round and darting towards his friend.

The brunette was now standing precariously on top of a goal hoop and was casting a reducio on the broom. He slipped it into his pocket and waited for Draco to get closer. When his Angel was half way across the pitch he straightened and held his arms out. He smiled at Draco before he let himself fall backwards, diving headfirst towards the grass.

Draco wasn't aware of the screech that escaped his lips as he pooled all his energy into making his wings beat faster. He had to time this right, or they'd both end up injured. He didn't let his mind think about the chances of him not reaching Harry in time. Adjusting his height he managed to position himself above Harry and dived, taking the same path as the brunette but adding to his speed with powerful beats of his wings. He drew level with the other boy and grabbed hold of his waist. Ignoring his protesting muscles he pulled them from the fall, the momentum causing them to dip low before being able to fly parallel to the ground. Draco felt a bruising pain run across his torso and realised he still only had hold of Harry by the waist. He wrapped his other arm around Harry's chest and felt his Tutela swing his legs up to lock his ankles behind Draco's calves. Draco was about to question if he was alright when Harry stretched his arms down, letting is fingers brush the long grass.

"Haz, I swear, you do that again and I will kill you."

Harry brought his hands up to rest on top of Draco's and sighed. "Let me turn around?"

Draco turned them both upright and loosened his grip on Harry. The smaller boy brought his legs round and swivelled, now standing on Draco's feet. He wrapped his arms around the taller boy and rested his head against his shoulder, smiling as Draco's grip tightened around him again.

"I knew you'd catch me, Dray. Or at least cast a cushioning charm if you thought you wouldn't make it."

"That's not the point. I thought you…I thought you might…" he trailed off, resting his cheek against Harry's head. "You scared me."

Harry smiled a small smile, feeling Draco's long, soft hair brush is forehead. "I know and I'm sorry. But at least you know what you're capable of. Who else would have reacted like that? And be able to pull it off? It was worth it."

"I…just don't do it again. I wish you'd keep in mind just how precious your life is. What if I hadn't made it in time? A cushioning charm hadn't even entered my head. I was running on instinct alone. What if that isn't good enough one day? What if you get hurt or…or…"Draco stuttered, feeling excess adrenaline tremble through hands.

The brunette shifted so that he could look Draco in the eyes and shivered at the haunted look displayed in the silver orbs. "I'm sorry. But I can look after myself as well. I know you'll always be there but if the impossible happens and I do end up alone…I'm a wizard and I won't go down easily."

"Alright, fine. Just know if you do end up getting us both killed, you can bet you're last knut that I'm dragging you to hell with me."

"Of course." Harry replied with a smile. He looked around at their surrounding and found that they were twirling slowly above the Forbidden Forest.

Draco returned his smile and brought them back towards the Quidditch pitch. When their feet touched the ground he released Harry, shivering at the lack of warmth as he stepped away. Harry noticed and removed his heavy outer robe and spelled slits down the back. He held it out to Draco who took it reluctantly, not wanting to admit he was cold but knowing the ruined shirt barely hanging onto his arms wasn't going to keep him warm against the sudden chill in the night air. He nodded in thanks and took the shrunken broom from the breast pocket, returning it to the Quidditch hut.

As he trudged back Harry laughed and drew his wand, flicking it in a complicated movement and muttering a string of Latin. A soft glow caught Draco's eyes and he looked up, seeing a soft ring of light over his head. He darted out from under it and scowled when it followed his movement. He hardened his scowl, directing it at Harry and continued his heavy walking towards his friend. Harry rolled his eyes and clapped his hands together.

"Jeez, how pretty and elegant. Like a traditional Christmas Angel."

Draco stopped and planted his hands on his hips, a sarcastic smirk on his face. Harry's robe billowed out around him and the mock halo had somehow become crooked.

"Do I look like a bloody traditional Angel to you?"

Harry grinned and walked towards him, looping his arm through Draco's and pulling him to head towards the castle glittering in the distance. "Of course not. And I wouldn't change it for the world."

Grinning, Draco allowed Harry to pull him forward and spread his wings out behind him, loving the feel of the breeze running over his feathers.

…

Inside the main entrance of Hogwarts the pair was ambushed by a whirlwind of bushy-haired girl.

"Where have you been? The twins said you were at the Quidditch pitch but you've been there ages!" Hermione shrieked, not letting go of her death grip on the two boys.

Fred chuckled lightly and began to prise her off while his brother just watched and laughed. "Yeah we saw you drifting towards the Forbidden Forest and we thought we'd have to go rescue you. Even Neville was up for it, weren't you, Nev?"

Neville stepped forward from the shadows and blushed a deep crimson. His gaze fell on Draco and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "Are you wearing Harry's robe? And what's with the massive holes in the back?"

Draco panicked for a moment before he realised that yes, he had retracted his wings. "Yeah I am, I got cold and Harry had to be the noble Gryffindor and offer me his robe. And err…we fell…from a goal hoop…and it got ripped."

George raised an eyebrow but shook his head and began to lead the group back towards Ravenclaw Tower to drop Hermione off. "None of us buy it but whatever. If it's secret enough to warrant an excuse as poor as that we won't push it. What we do want to know is what you were up to. Hermione's been invading the Gryffindor common room and has been worrying about you two since you didn't return by curfew."

Harry thought for a moment before deciding to tell the truth, or as much as he could. "He went to practise flying and forgot the time. Sorry to worry you Hermione." He nodded to the girl and received a smile in return. He turned to the twins, something Hermione said surfacing in his mind. "How did you know where we were?"

The Weasley brothers grinned evilly, stepping to stand either side of Harry and Draco. They leaned in and whispered in sinister voices.

"We have our ways."

"But just remember."

"That we are always."

"Watching you."

Harry shivered but returned their grins when we realised that they had only known where they were, not what they were doing. "Location spells, then?"

Fred tapped the side of his nose, attempting to appear mysterious. "That's for us to know and you to ponder. What would be the fun in revealing all our secrets?"

The group continued down the corridor, halting as a doorknob rattled ominously. Peeves the poltergeist shot out from the classroom, shouting and cackling.

"Wandering around at midnight, ickle firsties? Tut, tut, tut, naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty. Ah, and the twins! Should tell Filch, I should!"

"Move it Peeves." Shouted George but the ghost just shook its head tauntingly so the twins shrugged and walked through him. The others followed, hearing Peeves' screeches echoing of the walls.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

The students hit a dead end but Hermione shoved them out the way, pointing her wand at the locked door in the centre of the wall. "Alohomora!"

The door swung open and they piled inside, closing the door behind them before they could be seen by Filch or his cat Mrs. Norris. They pressed their ears against the door and heard Peeves tormenting the caretaker and sighed in relief at the sound of footsteps moving away from the door.

Harry felt someone tugging on his sleeve and turned, gasping. They had found themselves in the forbidden corridor on the third floor and now they knew why it was off limits. By now everyone had turned around and saw what was facing them.

Before them stood a monstrous dog that took up the height and width of the corridor. It had three heads and each head housed a pair of rolling, mad eyes and a twitching nose pointed in their direction. Three drooling mouths growled at them, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

It was standing still, ears twitching in alarm at the groups surprise entrance. But it quickly got over its surprise and its rumbling growls grew deeper and louder. Draco drew his wand and stepped in front of Harry, guarding his Tutela's back as he hurriedly yanked at the doorknob. Seconds later it was shoved open and the group fell back into the charms corridor. Draco was the last to leave and he slammed the door shut behind him, throwing every locking spell he knew at it.

They sprinted as fast as they could towards the nearby Ravenclaw Tower and Hermione let herself in after a scolding from the guarding portrait. She motioned for them to follow her into the empty common room and the group collapsed into an assortment of royal blue chairs and sofas.

"Why the hell have they got something like that locked up in school?" Harry questioned the room in general as he caught his breath.

Hermione shrugged before something clicked inside her clever head. "Didn't any of you see what it was standing on?"

Draco could see the twins about to make a sarcastic comment but interrupted them before they could annoy the witch. "Yeah, a trapdoor." Everyone stared at him as if he was the one who had grown three heads. "What? I saw the big, sharp, lethal looking claws and they happened to be on top of a trapdoor."

The Ravenclaw grinned at him, glad one of the Gryffindors was observant. "Exactly! It's obviously guarding something."

Harry thought for a moment, wondering if he should voice his crazy idea aloud. "Do you…do you think that maybe whatever it was that the Gringotts robbers wanted is being kept here? Like for safekeeping?"

"If that's the case then it's got to be either really valuable or really dangerous to need such high protection." Hermione murmured, sounding as if she was talking to herself.

"Or both." Neville remarked from his seat between the twins.

"We should go back and find out." Fred said, eagerness plain in his voice.

"Yeah, we've got a few things that could probably get that overgrown mutt out the way." George added, looking pleadingly at Hermione, who had unknowingly become the brains of the group.

"No. Like we've said it's probably dangerous and there's a reason it's being guarded. We know nothing about it so we should stay out of it. I'm sure the professors have a good reason for it being here. They would've told us what it was if it had anything to do with us."

Everyone nodded in agreement, most of them glad that they wouldn't be seeing the dog again. The twins scrunched their noses in disappointment but didn't argue, instead they gathered up the Gryffindors and started to lead them towards their own tower.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	10. Brooms and trolls

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**AN- So here's the next chapter! Because I'm so awful at keeping my deadlines, I made this one a little longer than most. Hope all you guys are still enjoying this story and thanks goes out to all those who have stuck by it since the beginning. Please tell me if you find any mistakes as yeah, they're embarrassing. So...hope you enjoy...**_

...

The Great Hall filled with the sound of excited shouting as two long, thin packages were delivered by six screech owls each at lunch. Harry looked up with the same amount of interest as the parcels were carried over to the Gryffindor table.

Draco startled as one of the large packages was dropped in front of him, his surprise not dimming his reflexes as he sent a quick hand out to catch the goblet of pumpkin juice about to be knocked straight onto his lap. The second package came crashing down in front of Harry and their eyes met in confusion. Harry reached out to the letter balancing haphazardly on top and slit the seal.

_DO NOT OPEN THIS PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you and Mr. Malfoy tonight on the pitch at seven O'clock for your first training session._

_Professor M. McGonagall._

Draco read over his shoulder then handed Harry his own letter, which was the same except it informed him that his broom was a Comet Two Sixty. As they headed back to the Tower to unwrap the brooms in privacy, Harry voiced the question he'd been thinking since reading the letter.

"What's the difference between different types of brooms? I just thought we'd be given the same one."

Draco thought for a moment, thinking of a way of explaining it to someone raised by muggles. "It's similar to cars. You can get ones especially designed for speed or accurate turning and so on. Nimbuses are generally used by seekers because they're light, quick and accurate. Exactly what you need when you're zooming around, taking impossible turns and dives to catch the snitch. Comets are racing brooms and are famous for their Horton-Keitch braking charm. They're also sturdy, meaning they can take a few knocks from Bludgers and still stay in the air. The balance is equal to a Nimbus, which is good as most of the time I'll have both hands off the broom. I had a Comet when I was living at Malfoy Manor, so I got used to them."

Harry grinned, looking at the package in his hand with increased interest. His smile faltered as Ron Weasley blocked their path across a staircase. He frowned at them and made a grab for Draco's parcel but the blonde moved, swiping the broom at Ron and causing the red-head to take a few steps back.

"They're broomsticks. First-years aren't allowed them."

"No shit." Harry replied with an eye roll, trying to step past his Housemate without success. "And try telling that to McGonagall, she's the one that got them for us."

Ron's eyes filled with an unattractive mixture of anger and jealousy. "Why would she? It's not like you can't afford your own brooms. You're not even on the Quidditch team."

Harry could see a sharp-tongued remark forming on Draco's lips so interrupted before his Angel could start a fight. "Yeah we can, but maybe she just wanted to treat her newest Seeker and Beater. It's tradition that the Head of House buys each member of the team their first broom."

The youngest Weasley son did a very creditable impression of a startled fish, his jaw snapping closed as Professor Flitwick appeared at his elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?"

Draco couldn't miss the chance to annoy Ron so spoke before Harry could stop him. "Not at all, sir, we were just thanking Weasley for helping us get on the Quidditch team. If we hadn't of had to chase him for the possession he'd stole off Neville, we wouldn't have even been considered."

The two friends took advantage of Ron's stunned but outraged silence and stepped around the red-head and professor to rush to the Tower.

…

"Wow." Harry sighed as he unwrapped the broom lovingly, letting it roll gently onto his bed between him and Draco, who were sat cross-legged opposite each other.

The broom was sleek and shiny with a dark mahogany handle, a long tail of neat, straight twigs and golden letters declaring the model name at the top.

"Sweet." Draco murmured, his wand jumping to his hand to check all the charms on the broom. At Harry's confused look he shot the brunette a smile. "Just checking; there are plenty of people out there who would like to kill either one of us and it's not hard to fake handwriting."

Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't complain. When Draco was finished he motioned to the other package and the Angel tore into it, sending paper flying. A strong but slender, maple wood broom was revealed. It was decorated with twin silver bands around the pale tail twigs and _Comet Two Sixty_ written across the handle in swirling silver letters.

Even with his limited knowledge of brooms, Harry was impressed. Both brooms, though stationary, looked fast and powerful. His mind drifted back to pictures in muggle children's books and laughed. "This is probably the worst kept secret of the magical world. Even muggles know wizards fly on brooms."

Draco shrugged, glancing at his watch. "I think muggles were the ones who thought it up. A witch heard a muggle story about flying broomsticks and thought it would be fun to do. Et voila, wizards fly on brooms. Come on, Herbology started five minutes ago."

…

Harry and Draco stood in the centre of the Quidditch pitch waiting for Oliver Wood. Draco looked up at the goal posts and shuddered. Trying to clear the memories surfacing in his mind, he mounted his broom, zooming once around the stadium. He came to hover beside Harry's head, stretching his arms up and letting his legs hang loose.

"Feels good to be back on a broom. But I think I prefer wings."

Grinning, Harry mounted and joined his Angel in the air. They raced up and down the pitch, diving and rolling, adrenaline coursing faster through their veins as they attempted trickier or more dangerous manoeuvres.

"Hey, Potter, Malfoy, come down!" Oliver Wood called from where he'd entered the stadium, dropping a large crate onto the grass.

The two landed simultaneously, falling into step beside each other as they headed over to the Gryffindor team captain.

"Very nice." Wood murmured with a glint in his eye. "For once McGonagall has spotted some decent players. Although, I'm a little worried about you, Malfoy. You're half blind and sit strange."

Draco's gaze was on the stars starting to appear above them and he sounded almost bored as he spoke. "If a ball of metal is flying at me or any of the team, I will hit it. I've been practicing getting used to the bad eye all summer, it was either get used to it or fall of a rooftop. But a…what do you call it? A snish- Snitch! A Snitch is small enough that if you're half an inch out you're going to miss it. And I don't sit strange, you English sit strange. You also give the equipment strange names."

Wood nodded, taking note of the strong accent woven around the blonde's words. "Alright. We'll see how good you are as a Beater when we have our first proper practise. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, you're muggle raised, right Potter? Do you know anything about Quidditch?"

"Dray taught me everything, but he gave everything the French names because he couldn't remember the English."

Wood nodded and opened the crate by his feet. Inside were four different sized balls. "Both of you need to pay attention then." He took out a bright red ball the same size as a football. "Quaffle thrown through hoops by Chasers to score ten points. I'm one of the three Chasers; I got moved from Keeper last year. Goal hoops are guarded by Keepers and as you know George Weasley is now ours. Follow me?"

Harry nodded, wondering if he was imagining the patronising tone he could here in Wood's voice. "Yep. It's like basketball on brooms."

The Quidditch captain faltered, looking at him curiously. "What's basketball?"

Draco smirked, not sure whether to be pleased or not about his knowledge of muggle sports. "It's like Quidditch on feet." He nodded and pointed to at a pair of black balls that seemed to be straining against the straps holding them inside the box. "What's the Cognard called?"

"They're Bludgers. You and Fred Weasley are our Beaters." He handed Draco a small club and released a Bludger.

It rose into the air, pelting straight towards Harry's face. Draco swung the bat high, sending it crashing into the black ball and trying to aim it towards the crate. He smiled as it hit its target and Wood was able to wrestle it back into the box.

"Very good." Wood said, nodding to Draco. He turned to Harry, motioning to the last ball in the crate. "Now the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't need to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers-"

"I know. I've been taught Quidditch rules already." Harry interrupted, knowing for sure that Wood was patronising this time and not just in his imagination.

Wood ignored him and instead reached inside the crate to pull out a gold, walnut sized ball with fluttering silver wings.

"This is the Golden Snitch. I don't know how much you know so all I'll say is that it's fast and difficult to see. It's your job to catch it. You have to dodge around the other players and balls and get to it before the other Seeker does because whichever Seeker catches it wins their team an extra hundred and fifty points. Quidditch ends when the Snitch is caught. Well, that's it, any questions?"

Harry and Draco both shook their heads so Wood pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls from his robe. "We won't be practising with the Snitch yet, it's too dark and we might lose it."

A few minutes later the three were up in the air, Wood throwing golf balls in random directions, Draco darting around to hit them in a shouted direction and Harry racing to catch them. After half an hour it was too dark to continue and Wood accompanied them on the slow walk back to the castle.

"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year. I've never seen a Beater who's willing to practically throw himself off the broom to do their job and then be skilled enough to actually stay on. And Harry, I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."

…

"Dray, you awake?"

The blonde's eyes flickered to Harry's and he smiled down at the boy nestled against his chest. Neither of them had been able to get used to sleeping alone but fortunately they hadn't been found by their dorm mates since that first morning.

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just thinking-"

"That's a first." Draco interrupted with a grin, earning him a light shove.

"Does it feel like we've been here two months to you? Seems to have gone by so quickly. Is it strange that the castle is more of a home to me than Privet Drive ever was?"

Draco shook his head, trapping a lock of Harry's hair between long fingers. "No, not strange. Why would you ever think of a place like that as home? I never thought of the Manor as a home, so I guess this place has become mine as well."

Harry nodded, snuggling deeper under the covers in an attempt to ignore the alarm that had started to trill.

A nervous cough sounded from outside the curtains and Draco sighed, calling out. "What do you want, Neville?"

"You two have slept through three alarms. If you want breakfast you've got ten minutes to get ready."

Seamus' voice came from the other side of the room, laughter playing in his words. "By you two we mean you as well, Harry. We know you're in there."

Harry's eyes widened and he threw himself forward, realising what the Irish boy was planning.

The sandy haired boy threw back the curtains of Draco's bed, an evil grin plastered to his face. His nose scrunched up in disappointment when he saw Draco against the headboard and Harry sprawled across the foot of the bed. He narrowed his eyes before shooting them both a smirk. "You've got ten minutes Draco and Ron's in the bathroom showing no signs of coming out. Looks like your hair will have to stay natural today."

Draco's eyes widened and he shot a panicked look at Harry. The Brunette rolled, shuffling up the bed to draw level to Draco. The blonde watched him suspiciously as he slowly reached out a hand. Suddenly his hand shot out, ruffling the platinum hair before Harry leapt from the bed.

Holding back what he guessed would have been a very high-pitched shriek, the Angel's hands flew to his hair, assessing the damage.

Harry wasn't able to hold in his own shriek as Draco jumped up, pillow in hand and already swinging it towards his Tutela's head.

…

The Gryffindor boys, minus Ron, piled into the Charms classroom fifteen minutes late. Professor Flitwick scowled at them disapprovingly, quelling the bubbles of laughter escaping the group.

They rushed to their seats and began to focus on the lecture. At that moment, Ron stumbled in and started blurting apologies at the Professor, his face as red as his hair. Flitwick accepted his excuse of getting lost so he scanned the room of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, groaning when the only free seat was next to Hermione.

Flitwick frowned once more before bouncing on top of his pile of books. He gave a short lecture about the levitation spell, the first charm they would be allowed to practise.

"Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick."

Harry worked with Draco and watched the blonde's motions as he waved his wand. Instead of aiming it at the eagle feather on the desk, Draco pointed it at the back of Dean's head. A small, white, downy feather rose from Dean's hair. He flew it gently around the room, gaining the attention of five of the six Gryffindor boys. Their gazes all met and they bit back laughter, remembering the huge pillow war that had exploded in the dorm earlier that morning.

Neville was the first to crack, his loud laughter echoing around the now silent room. Before long the small group were all in various stages of hysterics, oblivious to the rest of the class gawking at them.

Flitwick cleared his throat and the bellowing laughter quieted to a few random bursts of noise.

"Well done, Mr. Malfoy! Just please stick to the practise I've set the class. And I must say, I do like the new hairstyle." He squeaked out, turning his attention to Seamus, who had poked his feather experimentally and set it on fire.

Draco glared at his Tutela as he saw Harry about to remark. "Not. A. Word."

"I was just going to say how lovely you look. Not many are brave enough to try the dandelion puff look." He said with a smirk, catching a fly-away lock of silvery hair between two fingers.

The blonde narrowed his eyes, dragging his long hair into a loose ponytail. "You are a mean person, Haz. My hair is too disciplined to ever look like a bloody dandelion puff. You got a band?"

Harry took a length of ribbon from his pocket, motioning for his Angel to sit. He stood behind him and replaced Draco's hands with his own. With quick, sure fingers he tied the ponytail before tugging out a few locks to frame his pale face. "I was only joking you know. You're hair looks good loose and not all…" He motioned to his own head, miming Draco's usual slicked back style.

Draco raised a single eyebrow but nodded in thanks. "Sure. Flitwick's coming, look like you're working."

"_Wingardium Leviosa."_ Harry exclaimed, flourishing his wand at the eagle feather. It gave a feeble twitch but stubbornly stayed on the desk.

Draco stepped behind him, looking over Harry's shoulder and taking the Tutela's wand hand in his. He guided him through the movement before turning to perch on top of the table. "Big swish, sharp flick. Merlin, I don't know how you right-handed people do any magic. It's just such an…awkward hand."

Ignoring his Angel's whining, Harry followed Draco's instructions, sending the feather hurtling towards the ceiling.

The Charms professor let out an excited squeal, drawing Harry's and Draco's attention over to where Flitwick was attempting to help Ron. Harry saw Hermione cross her arms in annoyance at the red-head, knowing the witch was silently cursing the professor for partnering them together.

"You're saying it wrong." She finally snapped. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-_o_-sa; make the 'gar' nice and long." She caught her two friends looking at her and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling with a smile.

"You do it, then, if you're so clever." Ron snarled.

His angry words gained him Harry's and Draco's full attention.

"Don't talk to her like that."

"Just because she's smarter than you."

"She's only trying to help."

"But since he asked ever so nicely."

"Why don't you give him a demonstration, Hermione?"

Hermione, rolled her sleeve up, absently spelling her feather into flight as she shook her head at the boys. "_Wingardium Leviosa_. Brain-sharers, I'm so telling the twins you stole their signature 'finish the others sentences' move."

Ron spluttered but didn't manage to spout out something idiotic as the tiny professor beside his elbow let out another happy squeal at Hermione's wand work.

…

Ron was walking with Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas to the Halloween feast in the Great Hall. Dean had mentioned how well Hermione had done in class and the red-head lost his temper.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her, she's a nightmare, honestly."

Harry, who had been listening to Ron, was about to step in and defend her when someone knocked into him as they hurried past. Harry glimpsed the person's face and startled when he realised it was Hermione with tears rolling down her face.

Draco held him back as he went to run after her, murmuring that they should give her some space. Up ahead, Seamus was questioning Ron.

"She heard you, ya know. And I like her, in fact most of Gryffindor does. What's your problem?"

"Haven't you noticed? Only Gryffindors would be noble enough to try and be friends with her. Not even her own house likes her. She's just a bookworm mudblood that thinks she knows it all."

Dean, Seamus and Draco all turned to stare at him angrily. Harry looked around puzzled, wondering what a mudblood was. Draco spoke up, his voice as cold as ice.

"How dare you call her that? Look around; Dean and Seamus are half-blood and Haz was raised by muggles. They're all just as good as or even better than you at magic. Being pureblood is something to be proud of, yeah, but it doesn't make you better than anyone else."

Ron stared at him disbelievingly. "That's rich, coming from a Malfoy."

"People change, I changed. Get over it and get over yourself."

With that the blonde turned and stormed off, flanked by Harry, Seamus and Dean.

…

Harry could spend the rest of his life in the wizarding world and magic would always find a way leave him speechless. The Great Hall was decorated with thousands of live bats swooping along the tables and fluttering by the levitating candles, causing the bright specks of light to stutter. He sat with the rest of the Gryffindors, grinning as the feast suddenly appeared on golden plates.

Draco was shamelessly eavesdropping on a conversation between Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown about Hermione crying in the girls' toilets when Harry leaned in.

"What does it mean? Whatever it was that Ron called Hermione?"

"He called her a mudblood. It's one of the worst things you can call someone. Basically it's insulting the fact that she's muggle born. Saying she has dirty, tainted blood."

Harry's eyes widened and he sent a glare down the table to the red-headed boy shovelling food down his throat at a disturbing rate. He was about to make a comment when the huge oak doors of the Hall were sent crashing open. Professor Quirrell came sprinting in, turban askew and a look of pure terror on his face.

"Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know." He gasped out before collapsing.

Draco was following everyone else out the Hall and trying his best to ignore Percy Weasley when a thought struck him.

"Hermione! She's down in the toilets!"

Harry shoved him into a hidden alcove, a tapestry covering their disappearance. When they were sure the corridor was clear, they stuck their heads out, sprinting in the opposite direction of the Tower.

A foul stench reached their nostrils and they slowed as the troll shuffled into view. It was huge, at least twelve feet tall with wide, stumpy legs and a small, bald head balanced on its thick neck. It had a large wooden club that was lazily dragged along the floor. It paused for a moment before heaving itself into a room marked 'Ladies WC'.

The Tutela locked eyes with his Angel, a silent message passing between them. _Hermione_.

As the boys ran into the bathroom it took them a second to process the scene. Hermione was cowering against the wall as the troll lumbered towards her, smashing sinks off the wall as it went.

Without a thought, Draco raised his wand. "Avad-"

"NO! Draco no! Don't, you'll be expelled!" Hermione screamed, tucking her head down as the troll span, its club flying out wildly behind it.

Harry seized a broken tap, throwing it at the troll's head, watching as it connected with an ugly thud. A second piece of debris hit it hard in the shoulder as Draco threw a section of pipe.

Harry saw his chance and did something he knew Draco would kill him for later. He took a run and used the momentum to jump on the wall and spring up. He planted his feet on the troll's shoulders, either side of its head. He heard a sickening slurp and realised his wand had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

"Harry James Potter! Get your arse down here now!" Draco yelled but Harry ignored him, too focused on not being hit by or flung off the flailing troll. The blonde shouted at Hermione to run but the witch was understandably paralysed by fear. A blur caught his eye, his wand raising instinctively, a spell falling from his lips moments before Harry could get struck by the club. "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

The club flew into the air and dropped heavily onto its owners head. The troll swayed before falling head first onto the floor, sending Harry smashing into the floor with a yelp. Draco ignored the pain he could feel radiating through his back and the agony in his shoulder as a loud crack alerted him to Harry's dislocated shoulder. The thought of Harry being in the same pain had him flying across the room to pull his Tutela into his lap.

"How many times to I have to yell at you to land a fall before it sinks into that thick skull of yours?" Draco murmured, wincing as he tried to pull Harry into a comfortable position.

The brunette stared at him with amazement. "How the hell can you be helping me? I dislocated my bloody shoulder! Surely you can feel that?"

"You've also bruised the muscle in most of your upper back and twisted your ankle. Yes, I can definitely feel it, but none of that's actually happened to me, so I can still move. I'm your protector and it's up to me to help you. And as long as I can move that's what I'll do. Just think of the pain as extra motivation for me. I'm sorry. I can't use a pain number spell, it'll interfere with the healing," He pointed his wand at Harry's shoulder, pulling the boy closer as he muttered a spell to relocate the shoulder. Harry screamed out, Draco's own shouts being muffled into Harry's neck.

Not paying attention to the witch silently watching them from underneath a broken sink, he set about the task of healing Harry's various cuts and bruises, wincing along with him at the harsh stinging of the spell. He mentally noted to himself to learn as many first aid spells as possible in the near future. Breathing deeply he motioned for the boy in his arms to stretch out his legs. He assessed the damage in the ankle, sighing in relief at nothing being broken. He cast a general healing spell and collapsed against the wall behind him exhaustedly.

Hermione crawled over, staring at him with wide-eyes. "W-what? How? I…you-"

Draco cut her off with a tired hand, murmuring a vague 'tell you later' as quick steps alerted them to the arrival of McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell. Quirrell took one look at the unconscious troll and sat on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Severus snarled a cold "Granger" to Hermione before his eyes caught on the boys huddled together by the wall. He surprised most of the people in the room as he rushed over and dropped to his knees in front of them. He pulled a Pepper-Up potion from his pocket and eased each of their lips open to gently pour the substance down their throats.

"Merlin, what happened? Dra- wait, Harry, how bad were you hurt?" The professor saw that they were both nursing the same injuries and realised it was only Harry who had been injured and Draco had unfortunately felt the pain. As long as Harry was alright, so was Draco.

"Bad, but Dray healed it all." The brunette replied softly.

The potions master smiled a rare smile at his godson. "I'm impressed, my dragon. That must have been difficult for you. I'm so proud of you; you've done your duty." He murmured, trying to prevent the others in the room from hearing without success.

McGonagall flicked her wand at the troll, sending it to the now empty Great Hall. "What's going on? Miss Granger? Snape? Why are you more concerned for Potter's well being than anyone else's? What duty?"

Severus turned cold eyes on her and raised a single black eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be seeing to the troll, Minerva? Something like that appearing in the middle of the castle will have rumours spreading. I'm sure Dumbledore will want to know the current situation?"

She stuttered but nodded, turning to leave and motioning for Quirrell and Hermione to follow her.

Now alone, the trio were free to talk. Snape checked them over once more before turning a serious gaze on them.

"How much do you know about what's going on?"

Harry wasn't sure how much he could trust the professor so let Draco talk for them.

"The thing that was going to be stolen from Gringotts is being guarded by a mutant dog on the third floor."

The older man let out a deep sigh, bracing a hand against the wall to keep him steady as he rose into a crouch. "Please, stay out of it. We have it all under control. If something happened to you, to either of you…just don't do anything stupid. Promise me."

Draco nodded his head straight away but his Tutela was a little more hesitant.

"Was the released troll roaming the castle all under control?" He bit out, instantly feeling bad. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just…Hermione could have died. What if me and Dray hadn't made it in time?"

"Alright, Harry. No it wasn't under control. None of the staff even know how the bloody thing got in. Fine, we'll compromise; don't do anything stupid unless absolutely necessary. I'll tell the staff that by Draco's duty I meant his duty as a guardian, that's all." He stood elegantly and whirled around, his jet black cloak billowing out behind him. At the door he turned slightly, calling over his shoulder.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor."

…

A while later, Harry and Draco were trudging back to the Tower, both having felt strong enough to attempt the long walk. The Angel took his Tutela's hand in his and leaned in so his words could not be overheard by the group of Hufflepuffs they were passing.

"I hate to repeat myself but I swear, the next time you jump off another building or jump onto another troll, I will kill you."

…

_**TBC  
><strong>_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	11. Quidditch and gloves

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**AN- Gah, sorry. I know it's been a while but my computer got**__** a virus.**_ _**Oh yeah, so if you happen to be browsing Google images (don't know if it's linked) and a 'police notice' pops up on your computer demanding £100, ignore it, it's a scam. But your security may take about a week to detect the virus. So anyway...hope you enjoy...**_

...

Ronald Weasley aimed a kick at the stone gargoyle before him, cursing loudly as it moved out of the way and his momentum sent him tumbling into the wall. The gargoyle resumed its position guarding the stairs leading to the headmaster's office and stilled. Maybe he was imagining it, but Ron was sure he could see a smirk stretched across its stony lips.

Ten minutes of sweet guessing later, the red-head was reluctantly allowed entrance. He plunged his hands deep into his pockets and stumbled his way up the stairs, slamming his foot into the headmaster's door instead of knocking.

"Please, come in."

The first-year shuffled into the room and Dumbledore sat down, giving up on his search for his missing purple star printed glove. He trying to make eye contact and failing as Ron kept his gaze locked on the floor as he slumped heavily into a chair.

"You wanted to see me?" The student muffled, boredom clear in his voice.

Dumbledore took a deep breath, reaching for the small tin on his desk. "Yes. Lemon drop? Tea?" He frowned slightly as Ron grabbed a handful of the candy and shoved them into his mouth. "So how are you finding school?"

"S'okay."

"Your mother's been in touch. She helped me out a few weeks ago and in return she requested that I make sure your time at Hogwarts is a good as possible. I accepted, of course. But to achieve this I need your co-operation. Do you understand?"

Ron nodded and shrugged, staring blankly out the large window overlooking the school grounds.

"Mr. Weasley, I've heard of the…animosity between you and certain other Gryffindors. For you to do well here, you need to put aside your differences and make an effort with your Housemates."

His words had the boy's eyes snapping to him instantly. "No way! I'm not going to be friends with Potter and Malfoy's lot."

"Potter, now, is it? Just the other day I heard you call him Harry."

Ron shrugged again and the old headmaster sighed, knowing it was going to be difficult to get what he wanted. "Have they actually done anything to you? Without you starting something to begin with?" He could see a sarcastic remark forming on the red-head's lips and knew instinctively that he didn't want to hear it. "Just try to be friends, please? And if you could report back to me every now and then, I'd love to hear all about it."

The Gryffindor was about to nod when it dawned on him. "You want me to spy on them? How much is it worth to you?"

Dumbledore tried to force a grandfatherly twinkle into his eyes and knew he had succeeded when Ron's ugly smirk softened. "You're a lot smarter than you let on, aren't you? Students usually get rewarded with House points for good work. I'm sure we could arrange something."

Ron nodded and straightened, heading back towards the office door, unaware of the professor's annoyed stare burning into his back.

Dumbledore shook his head once more before loading a quill with ink. If Ron failed to get him the information he wanted, he needed a backup plan. He thought for a moment then smiled. Hagrid would be a good choice. Who knows, Harry might even start to see the half-giant as a friend. That would be fortunate.

…

"They're both at Hogwarts, my Lord. First year Gryffindors and they look…close."

Voldemort turned his back on one of his most trusted followers, lost in thought. So the young Malfoy had run to the light. Interesting.

"I see. And no one suspects you? You're sure Dumbledore's still clueless?"

The pale man shook his head at his master and took a long length of purple material from his pocket. A single, brown leather glove fell from his pocket at the movement and he frowned as he picked it up, remembering he'd somehow lost the other one a while ago. "Not even Snape knows of my allegiance to you. Who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?" He wound the turban around his head with a sigh. "How long must I wear this, my Lord?"

The Dark Lord turned to face his spy with a cold smile. "For as long as you are useful to me. I need my link with Hogwarts, after all. I'm still not sure where Severus's loyalty lies."

The Defence professor gave a small shiver at the memory of the pain felt when Voldemort possessed the back of his head. But he knew that it would be worth it. When his master had control over wizarding Britain, he would be rewarded with a place by his side. What he didn't know was why Voldemort had had him spying on that Potter boy and the Malfoy brat for the last three months.

A pale, almost serpentine hand flicking in his direction alerted him to the fact that Voldemort wanted him to leave. He bowed deeply before rushing hurriedly from the room.

…

Harry stopped pacing the library and began to drum his fingers on the back of Draco's chair instead. He was nervous about the Quidditch match that weekend and wanted the _Quidditch through the Ages_ book that Hermione had lent him. Unfortunately, Ron had borrowed it earlier without asking and had had it confiscated by Snape.

His hands were suddenly clasped in a strong grip and he looked down into the irritated eyes of his Angel.

"You looking for a punch? Just sit down and do homework, McGonagall won't let you get away with a late essay twice in a row."

The brunette smiled apologetically. "Sorry, can't concentrate, nerves." He saw Hermione head over to them with a 'stay there while I interrogate you' look in her eyes. "Help me get my book back from Snape?"

Draco nodded eagerly; not ready to face the witch's questions on what had happened in the girls' toilets. They waved to their friend before gesturing vaguely and heading to the staff room.

…

Harry knocked on the staff room door, frowning when there was no answer. Draco shrugged and pushed the door open, gasping at the scene before him. He ran into the room with Harry on his heels.

Severus was alone with Filch and was muttering under his breath as the caretaker handed him bandages. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. He looked up in surprise as his students burst into the staff room.

"Draco, Harry! What're you doing?"

Filch began to panic and shouted angrily. "Get out!" He soon fell silent at Severus's glare.

"Sev, what happened?" Draco asked, moving to get a closer look at his uncle's leg.

The professor sighed and motioned for Filch to leave. When the door swung shut behind him, Severus turned to the boys.

"Fine, you caught me. I was going to check up on the…the thing being guarded at the castle. Unfortunately, Hagrid hasn't let it slip how you get past the overgrown mutt and it's hard to keep your eyes on all three heads at once. But this means nothing. You two are still to keep out of it." His face softened into a small smile and he looked pleadingly to his godson. "Help me fix my leg?"

The blonde nodded, flicking his wand and murmuring several healing spells that he'd learned since Halloween. "You should pay attention and learn some of these, one day someone isn't going to be around to fix you up."

Severus narrowed his eyes at him, holding back a wince at the feel of his flesh knitting back together. "Don't complain about my lack of talent when it comes to healing spells. Who here seems physically unable to brew any sort of healing potion, despite hours of practise with the country's best potions master?"

Draco took the bandage offered to him by Harry and tied it around the almost completely healed wound. "Touché."

…

Hermione Granger trudged through the halls of Hogwarts with a defeated expression on her face. For just under a month she'd been trying to get Harry and Draco to explain what had happened in the girls' toilets and she was still clueless. She had made a decision to give up; if they wanted her to know, they would have told her. It wasn't her business anyway.

But still, it went against everything she was and the curiosity was always nagging at the side of her thoughts. After a whole day of not being able to concentrate on lessons, her clever mind had come up with a compromise; she would stop asking the boy's for information but would put her brain to use and try and figure it out herself.

She paused on her slow walk towards the Ravenclaw Tower and span, heading towards the library.

…

Hidden behind several stacks of heavy books, a bushy haired girl was being woken by a gentle shake.

"Hermione?"

The witch stirred, lifting her head and batting at the hand on her shoulder tiredly. She blushed and shot up straight when she realised Harry and Draco had found her asleep in the library.

"Oh, hi guys."

Harry smiled, pulling out a chair next to his friend and sitting, Draco coming to stand behind him.

"We-"

"No, _Haz_."

"No, _we_," Harry continued stubbornly, "thought it was time to let you know a little about what happened."

"You know I'm Harry's guardian, right?" Draco continued. He and Harry had already decided how much they were going to tell her and had agreed to keep the witch in the dark as much as possible. She still seemed to have the naïve belief that adults were always right and they weren't sure that she could keep their secret if questioned.

Hermione nodded tiredly. "Course I do, most of wizarding Britain does."

"Well, part of the…contract is that the only pain I can feel is his." Draco tapped Harry on the shoulder, keeping his voice low so that they wouldn't be overheard by any nearby students. "Oh yeah, then there's the whole 'separation pain' thing, but even we don't know the full details of how that works."

The witch blinked owl-like, absorbing the information. "Okay. That makes sense. Weird contract, but makes sense. Can I ask a question?"

Harry smiled, relieved at how easy it had been. "You just did, but you can ask another."

"Can you tell me more about this separation thing? I might have read something that may help. Is that why it felt like a protest was about to happen when you were originally in different Houses?"

Draco rolled his eyes, having expected her to ask them things they were unwilling to answer. "Erm…well it's kinda…my heart's in Haz. Further we are apart, the more it tries to rip out of him and the more I feel like I'm being hacked open."

Hermione stared at the blonde then looked to Harry as if to get a confirmation. At the smaller boys nod she furrowed her brow in confusion. "But…how did you even find this out? You two are never apart. You even live together."

Harry answered this time, automatically telling the excuse they'd told everyone else without a second thought. "Dray pulled a muscle when we were out running with a friend and didn't feel up to running the next day."

"Can you get injured then?" She pinned Draco with an accusing gaze.

"Trust you to be the first person to see through our cover. Nope, I'm indestructible, as long as Haz's alright. But I should've got an injury that would have made running difficult, so if I'd gone and was fine, it would have aroused suspicion. Although, I'm not sure how potions affect me. Some, like the Pepper-Up Sev gave me at Halloween, work like normal while others have no effect. It may be possible for me to get injured through a dangerous potion, although I doubt it."

"Where did you 'injure' when you went running?" She asked curiously.

"Wrist."

Hermione shook her head, gathered her books and allowed her friends to accompany her back to the Ravenclaw Tower. "How could you injure a wrist while running? What kind of running do you do?"

Answering her question with a smile, his gaze fell on the witch's hands and he changed the topic, ignoring Harry's warning look.

"Hermione?"

"Yes Draco?"

"Can I borrow one of your gloves?"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly want with the pink, fluffy garment.

Draco held up a hand, an innocent smile on his lips. "Err…right hand, please."

Shaking her head she removed the glove and gave it to the delighted boy. She didn't notice the look of triumph on the blonde's face or the disbelieving one on Harry's.

…

"Eat."

"No."

"Haz, eat or I'll tell Hermione you skipped breakfast."

Harry's eyes flew wide. This was the day of his first Quidditch match and the whole team had ganged up on him to try and force food down his throat. It had been his Angel that had voiced the latest threat.

"You wouldn't dare."

Draco stood, his eyes sweeping the room for a familiar head of bushy hair. "Try me."

Harry gave in and allowed Seamus to fill his plate.

…

They'd sat through a pep talk from Oliver Wood and now the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams were mounting there brooms in preparation for flight. The Weasley twins wished the two newest members of the team luck and Harry shot Draco a nervous smile.

"Now," shouted Madam Hooch, the referee, "I want a nice fair game, all of you."

Harry rose straight up into the air at the sound of the whistle, hovering above the main game and scanning the field for any hint of gold. He mentally cursed the twins for wearing gold wristwatches but forgave them immediately as Fred Weasley rushed past in pursuit of a Bludger he'd managed to stop from hitting Harry's head by inches. The sound of cheering alerted him that a team had scored, but he was too focused on his search to notice which one. A blur of red Quidditch robes passed by and he heard Draco's wild laughter as he smacked a Bludger towards the Slytherin captain.

Then he saw it. In a rush of excitement he dived straight down, following the path of the golden streak before him. Unfortunately the Slytherin Seeker Terrence Higgs had also spotted it. Neck and neck they plummeted into suicide dives. Suddenly a huge weight crashed into his side, nearly throwing him from the broom. He heard a distant shriek as Draco clung onto his own broom after the unexpected hit.

"FOUL!" Madam Hooch screeched.

Harry sighed, glaring at the other Seeker. He'd been so close, almost within touching distance of a delicate silver wing and now he'd lost sight of the Snitch again. His glare turned into a smirk when he noticed the other boy had only one glove on. He let out a loud yelp as his broom gave a sudden, violent lurch. Clinging on he managed to reseat himself only to find the broom attempting to buck him off again. He tried to steer towards Wood to call time out but his broom refused. He'd lost control.

Far below, Severus Snape was furious. He watched, knowing someone had jinxed Harry's broom. He muttered every counter spell he could think of, sighing deeply in relief as the brunette was able to clamber back onto his now still broom.

Up in the air, Draco had positioned himself under Harry in case his Tutela fell but seeing him regain control he zoomed off after a nearby Bludger.

Harry could hear his Angel yelling reassurances to the rest of the Gryffindor team. It seemed that nobody realised except him that control was the last thing he had. As he free-fell towards the ground he saw the Snitch hover in front of his nose tauntingly.

Draco knew something was wrong before he'd even turned. Harry was tumbling towards the ground and seconds from impact. His mind went blank with panic and a memory was dragged almost forcefully from his mind, _'I knew you'd catch me, Dray. Or at least cast a cushioning charm if you thought you wouldn't make it.'_

"_Malacisso!"_

Harry landed on all fours, fully prepared for a hard impact that didn't come. He felt someone land beside him and Draco came to a running halt, having abandoned the game. Ignoring the gaze of the large, silently watching crowd, they both gave a sharp cough.

Draco glared at Harry, trying to speak around the strange, rough pain of having a throat that at the same time was clear and choked. "T-tell me...you d-didn't?"

The brunette looked up, coughing violently. His Angel was next to him a second later, patting him hard on the back. A small golden ball flew from Harry's mouth and he held it up triumphantly, a wide grin spreading across his face at Draco's eye roll and smile.

"I've got the Snitch!"

…

"Congratulations."

Ron stuck out his hand, a smile that didn't meet his eyes plastered on his face. The boy in front of him eyed the hand warily before nodding and shaking it.

"Thanks." Harry murmured, feeling a group of people gathering behind him. Without looking he knew that they were mostly Gryffindors coming to support him in case the red-head started a fight.

"P-err, Harry, I just wanted to ask, would you give me a second chance? I'm sorry for acting like a prat for the last few months."

Harry's brow furrowed at the rehearsed sound of Ron's words but he nodded reluctantly. "Sure. Why not?" He turned to head back towards the small victory party in the common room but Ron reached out an arm to stop him.

"Err, um, I was talking with the gamekeeper, Hagrid, you know him? He thinks the two of you have had a…misunderstanding. He asked me to invite you to go down and see him at his hut?"

The Tutela sighed but nodded again, giving up on the party. Draco and Neville stepped forward, sending distrustful looks to Ron but smiling in Harry's direction.

"We're going with you."

Draco, never one to miss an opportunity, began to form a plan in his mind and shook his head at Neville. "It's alright, Nev. I'll go; you stay and enjoy the party."

Harry nodded in thanks and the two friends followed the red-head as he led them towards the Forbidden Forest.

…

"What's one of the first things I told you about Hagrid?" Draco whispered into his Tutela's ear, making sure Hagrid and Ron couldn't hear.

"Gets drunk, blurts secrets and sets things on fire." Harry replied quietly.

Draco's warm breath brushed against Harry's ear as he murmured. "Right. And what did Sev say about the dog?"

"Hagrid hasn't let it slip how you get past the overgrown mutt. So, Hagrid is the only one who knows how to control the dog which means it's a secret, which means we need to get him drunk."

The half giant was busy talking to Ron about his older brother's work with dragons and didn't notice as Draco filled his stein glass from a bottle of something that Harry couldn't pronounce.

"I'm on it." Draco said with a small smirk. The bottle was back on the table moments before Ron's eyes flickered to them and the blonde smiled innocently. He glanced around the room, his gaze falling on a pair of heavy winter gloves.

"Be right back."

Harry stared at him with wide eyes. "You can't be serious?"

…

Hogwarts' Gamekeeper lay sprawled on his large sofa, rosy-cheeked and half asleep. Ron Weasley was sat precariously on the other end of the sofa, as far away from the large man as he could get without sitting on the floor. Opposite them, Harry and Draco shared large armchair.

"Hagrid?" Harry called questioningly.

"Hmm?"

"You know a lot about animals, right? Magical creatures to be more specific." Hagrid gave another grumble and the brunette took it as a sign to continue. "I was reading in the library and came across some information about a rare breed of dog sometimes known as Hellhounds."

Hagrid looked at him suspiciously but his clouded mind couldn't find anything wrong with Harry's words. "I've got one, Fluffy's the name."

Harry thought back to the evil owl that Draco had named Flaumig, German for Fluffy, and couldn't help but wonder how crazy the gamekeeper and his Angel were.

"How fantastic!" He tried to sound enthusiastic about the dog that had almost killed him and his friends but knew he hadn't been successful. "Could you tell me about him? I'm really interested."

"He's a big ol' softie, really. Just play a bit of music and he falls straight asleep." A stray tear ran down his face before getting lost in his wild beard. "I don' see him much now. Dumbledore's got him. Something about a favour for Nicholas Flamel." He clamped a hand over his mouth suddenly, his eyes growing wide. "I shouldn't have told you that!"

Draco looked up, a startled look etched perfectly onto his features. He saw Ron snoozing and silently urged the red-head to stay unaware of the conversation. "Told us what? You said 'Fluffy's the name' and then Haz asked you a question but I don't think you heard him. You seemed to be daydreaming."

"I was?" Hagrid asked, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Must've imagined it, then. Now don' ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is."

"Of course, sir." Draco nodded politely, his gaze falling onto his wristwatch. "If you'll excuse us, we really must be going. I'm sure you don't want us to be out after curfew?"

The Half giant blinked once before nodding slowly, confusion still clear on his face. "Course not. Off you go."

Harry gave Ron a rough shove and nodded towards the door. He let the red-head lead the way up to the castle, slowing down so that he and Draco could talk without him overhearing.

"You can be a right manipulative bastard when you want to be." Harry said, threading his arm through the crook in his Angel's.

"One of my many talents." The blonde replied with a chuckle. "It worked though, didn't it? We know how to get around the mutt and that it's here because of Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

"You have no idea who that is, do you?"

"Not a clue."

…

"Harry?"

The brunette looked up from where he was packing his bag for the Christmas break to see Neville looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"You seen my Herbology notes? I thing Draco borrowed them."

Harry nodded over to Draco's trunk. "Then he's probably packed them away by accident. Have a look, if they're in there they'll be near the top with his other school stuff."

Draco stepped out the bathroom wrapped in a towel and a toothbrush in his hand. "You really can hear everything from in there. Erm...yeah have a look, might be mixed up with my own notes."

Neville rifled through the top of the extremely organised trunk, bringing out a bulging bag he presumed to be full of school work. He tipped the contents out on the floor and Draco gave a startled yelp.

What looked like hundreds of gloves rained down from the bag, covering the floor in a small avalanche. Purple stars, brown leather, fluffy pink and mole skin were all visible in the pile.

"What's this?" Neville asked, puzzled.

Draco grimaced, edging backwards into the bathroom as the rest of his dorm mates pounced on the pile of gloves. Harry caught him and stopped him in his tracks.

"It's Draco's glove collection."

Neville frowned, picking up a handful. "But there's only right hands. Wait! This one's mine!"

The other boys picked up several gloves at his words and cries of 'that's mine' and 'I've been looking for this' filled the room.

Harry shook his head and smirked. "My mistake. Draco's _stolen_ glove collection."

Draco was hit by the force of four pairs of glaring eyes and Harry's amused ones and took another step back. Suddenly Seamus let out a loud laugh and the other's joined in, much to Draco's confusion.

"We knew about you're strange habit within about a month of you getting here." The sandy haired boy threw down the gloves in his hands. "It's been an interesting source of amusement to see the lengths you go to to collect these. You can keep mine."

One by one the other's let their own gloves fall to the floor, even Ron had reluctantly given in under the weight of several expectant stares. The red-head frowned, picking up a green leather one he recognised instantly.

"You took this from the Slytherin Quidditch changing rooms? Must have been from right under their noses."

Draco nodded absently, a relieved smile on his face that the others had forgiven him. Ron remembered the size of the Slytherin Seeker the glove belonged to and raised an eyebrow, looking at Draco with respect for the first time.

…

Despite endless hours of searching the library, Harry, Draco, Hermione, Neville and the twins were no closer to finding out anything about Nicholas Flamel.

Now they were walking across platform 9¾ at King's Cross, saying their goodbyes as they headed towards their various homes. Neville smiled and waved as he wandered over to an elderly woman with a stern expression and a stuffed vulture on top of her hat.

Fred and George waved back before stepping around and in front of the three remaining first years.

"Come to ours boxing day."

"And we'll all head back to Hogwarts the day after."

"'cause that'll be more interesting than staying at the Burrow."

"We'll come pick you up."

"We've already sorted it out with the Longbottom's."

Harry nodded eagerly, glad for an option that didn't means staying at the Dursley's for two weeks. Draco smirked but his expression soon softened into a grin.

"Me, in a house full of Weasels that are devoted followers of Dumbledore and devoted haters of Malfoy's? Sure, why not."

"It's only for one night." George said with a wicked smile. "We'll make sure you're not murdered in your sleep."

Hermione shrugged when the twins looked to her for an answer, taking a scrap of paper from her ever present book bag and jotting down a number. Harry, seeing what she was doing, wrote down his own mobile number under the witch's.

"You have a phone?" The Twins nodded so she handed them the paper. "I'll have to get permission but it should be alright. Ring me tomorrow morning."

Fred smiled in agreement, tucking the numbers into a pocket and followed his brother towards their waiting family. "See you guys soon."

The three students left passed through the wall between platforms nine and ten, emerging out into the muggle part of the station. Hermione gave the two boys a quick hug before hurrying to her smiling parents. Mr. and Mrs. Granger nodded politely to their daughter's friends and began leading Hermione towards the exit.

"Babes!"

Draco span round, his eyes seeking out the source of the voice. His gaze fell on Jay and his face broke out into a wide grin as he reached out a hand to direct Harry's searching eyes. The brunette smiled, grabbing his Angel's hand and dragged him over to the older boy. Jay began to weave in and out of the crowd, oblivious to the strange looks he was receiving as his many piercings and chains shimmered in the light. When they met there was a mini explosion of excited voices.

"Hey, darl!"

"Yo bros, how's it been?"

"Jay, alright?"

"What's been going on?"

"Wha' ya been up to?"

"Where're we supposed to be going?"

"Home, mum's waitin' for us on the train and it leaves in like…" The white haired boy whipped his head around to look up at the large clock overlooking the bustling people below. "Now…SHIT!" Jay yelled, disappearing into the crowd and boarding a random train, leaving the startled wizards to sprint after him, their laughter echoing through the station.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	12. Christmas and mirrors

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter1.**_

_**AN- Yeah, I know. Been a while, hasn't it? I apologise profusely for being so slow, but I do have excuses that I hope you'll find acceptable. 1) Science exams (an A and two Bs so neglecting writing for revision's paid off, heh?) 2) Media studies (that are just awful) 3) My new boyfriend! Hee hee, I blame him for distracting me (and Holly for 'dragging' me to the cinema and 'forcing' me to eat pizza) :D But anyway, I'm back now and I've got a super-long chapter to make up for my lateness. Oh and the 'selection box' rule is a shout-out to a tradition in my family. So if you recieve a selection box, please don't be offended, you'll know what I mean when you get there. Hope you enjoy...on with the show...**_

...

Draco looked along the seated passengers onboard the train, trying to work out who Jay's mum could be. Harry had met her many times but the blonde had never seen her. Harry laughed and sat down with Jay next to a young woman in a smart suit. She had a folder balanced across her knees and was filling in complicated looking papers. Draco looked between his white-haired friend and the woman, refusing to believe she was Jay's mother. He grabbed onto the pole beside him as the train began to move and the woman looked up with a smile.

"Hello. You must be Draco? I don't believe we've officially met." She spoke in a clear, cultured voice and Draco shook his head in disbelief.

"I've seen your hand as you pass food up to us while we're on the roof; I think that's about it. Thanks for that, by the way. It's good to finally meet you."

She gave a small laugh and closed the folder, slipping it into a laptop bag resting by her feet. "Nice and polite, I think we're going to get along. I'm glad Harry's finally accepted our offer of spending Christmas with us. I'm Francesca Mullain, but you can call me Frankie."

Harry smiled, "It's not that I've not wanted to spend Christmas at yours. You know what it's like with them lot."

Frankie frowned, not having to ask to know who Harry was talking about. "Yes, if the Dursley's found out you'd been sneaking round to ours most days, they'd lock you up for sure. I only wish I could do something, but no one of any importance will listen. Something about all your records being kept with a ministry that no one's heard of. Still, it's better now that you've started boarding school. They've been talking about you, the Dursley's." her eyes flickered to Draco quickly, "Both of you. They tell everyone you've been carted off to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

This time it was Jay who frowned as he defended his friends. "They lie. Don' believe 'em, do ya, mum?"

She shook her head, absently checking the time on her phone. "Of course not. Anyway, Harry, Draco, do you know how long you're staying with us?"

"Until boxing day, if that's alright?" Draco asked.

She gave the boys a warm smile that widened when her son grinned. "Stay for as long as you like. Like I said earlier, we've been asking Harry round for Christmas for the last few years. And besides, Jaedon's been talking about having his 'brothers' over since September."

The pierced boy scowled at his mum, "I wanted my running partners back. It's not like I missed them or anything."

Harry laughed, "You're a terrible liar."

…

Draco shook his head in amazement, staring between Jay and his mum. He'd been at Jay's for just under twenty-four hours and he was nowhere near figuring out how on Earth two people so different could possibly be related. Jay was strutting around the room, twirling and moving violently to the heavy, angry music blasting from the large stereo system. His mum was sat elegantly on the end of a fainting couch and inspecting her perfectly manicured nails, obviously giving up trying to teach her son algebra. She was dressed in a tailored, dark gray suit and her mousy hair was piled on top of her head in a neat bun.

Harry was sprawled across the small sofa on the other side of the room. He let out an unsuspecting yelp as Jay hauled him up suddenly. The white-haired boy raised his hands slowly before throwing them down like a crazed conductor and both friends screamed out the last chorus, their faces contorted almost angrily as they roared the lyrics at the top of their lungs. As the music came to a close they bowed deeply, grinning like maniacs as Draco clapped and whistled.

Jay's mum stood, shaking her head as she unplugged the speakers. "How you three can listen to that…noise is beyond me. You can't even understand what they're saying. But anyway, all of you out now, before I rope you into helping out with the cooking. Be back by five. And wrap up warm, it's minus temperatures out there and it's been snowing all day."

Harry and Draco smiled while Jay rolled his eyes at her concerned fussing as they headed towards the stairs. Up in Jay's room they threw on random jackets from the huge pile of clothes dumped on top of the airbed being used by the two wizards. The window was soon open and the three climbed out onto the roof together for the first time in months.

…

"If you fall flat on your face, _again_, I will point and laugh." Harry warned from his swivel chair.

The three friends were on top of a large, flat joining between two office buildings. It created a strange cross between an alley and a tunnel and it was one of Harry and Jay's favourite places. Over the years the joining had come to be known as the Tulley. They hadn't brought Draco there before because over the summer it had been unfortunately closed off for renovation. It stretched above a two-lane drive-through that allowed vehicles to get to the car park hidden behind the offices. The roofs of the buildings were flat but taller than the top of the joining, meaning there was a step of roughly a foot and a half along two opposite sides of the Tulley. The distance from the top of the Tulley down to either the road at the front or the car park at the back was just the right height to practise most drops from.

Earlier that day, one of the offices had been having a clear out and had offered the boys three of the many swivel chairs that would've been thrown out. Draco had been confused, understandably thinking that the workers would be trying to get rid of them, but instead they'd handed over the furniture with smiles and many had called out things like 'glad to see you again' and 'it's good you haven't given up on this dump'. Harry had quickly explained with a wide grin.

"All the workers are bored. Most of them work long hours seven days a week. During their breaks they like to look out the window and watch me, Jay and now you prating around and showing off. We are a free source of entertainment that kills the boredom and keeps the workers positive and therefore motivated. For thanks, whenever they're chucking stuff out, we usually get first dibs. Unfortunately most of the stuff gets destroyed about a week after we get it because of Jay's experiments."

Jay had only laughed, gazing off into the distance as if lost in a memory. "They gave us a pot plant once. We found out the hard way tha' they don' bounce."

So that's where they were now. Harry and Draco were sat on swivel chairs, shivering slightly from the cold. Jay was at the edge of one of the buildings, balancing in a handstand. He seemed to be oblivious to the snow surrounding his bare hands as he curved his back, bringing his feet closer to his head and then one hand at a time stepped down onto the joint. He let out a mad laugh and, still in a handstand, stepped back up onto the ledge. He pirouetted a few times before moving back to the edge.

"Piece o' cake. I can jump it no problem. Done it before. Have faith in me, babe."

Harry shook his head, "I do, hun, just not that much. Yeah, you've done it before but when it was dry…and warm." He swung his feet up, resting them in Draco's lap as he aimed the camera on Jay's phone. "Go for it."

Jay bent his elbows slowly and pushed off into the precision jump. He landed well but his left hand went skidding on a patch of hidden ice and he was sent head first into the snow. He lay spread-eagled for a moment before raising his head and blowing his white hair out of his eyes.

Harry pointed and laughed as promised and switched off the camera. "Spectacular."

…

"Haz….what're you doing?"

Harry looked up, a grin on his face as he searched for stones large enough to complete his masterpiece. "Looking for stones."

Draco stared at him then the large mound of snow piled high in Jay's front garden. "But…why?"

Jay whooped in delight as he managed to balance a huge ball of snow on top of the mound. "Snowman eyes, o' course."

The blonde shook his head in puzzlement but gave up trying to get decent explanations from his friends. Over the last week, being surrounded by muggle ways and traditions that usually left him wide-eyed and confused; he felt a growing sense of respect for muggle raised wizards and witches that get sent off to Hogwarts with no experience or knowledge of the world around them.

…

"I need to go shopping." Draco stated, realising he had only three days until he and Harry were due to be picked up by the Weasley twins.

Harry scrunched up his nose but sighed, nodding. It's not that he hated shopping; he just didn't like the crowds of shouting, bustling people that filled the high streets and centres. Plus Draco tended to use Harry as his personal dress up doll and somehow managed to make it so that Harry was the one carrying the bags. "What for? It's going to be busy Christmas Eve-eve."

"Need to get the Weasley clan gifts. As we'll be staying at their home, it'll be rude not to."

Jay smirked, sitting up from where he had thrown himself over his double bed. "You no' goin' to the Dursley's at all, then?"

Draco shook his head, grinning. "Nope, thank Mer-" he broke off, seeing Harry's panicked look and he choked back his slip-up. "Erm, no. Question is; what do you get for people you're not particularly fond of but want to be polite to."

"The same thing you ge' for frenemies, distan' relations and people you're expected to know but can't even remember the name of." Jay said, throwing an arm around Harry, who was sat at the foot of the bed. They grinned and spoke simultaneously in identical singsong voices.

"Selection boxes!"

…

Harry looked around the cramped room. He'd been waiting for his revenge for over six months and now was finally the day. He picked up two metal, disks he'd stolen from the abandoned drum kit in the garage and awkwardly managed to flick on the bright lights.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He yelled, crashing the symbols together.

Draco woke with a yelp, his silver eyes flying open in shock. He scowled and kicked out a leg, catching Harry on the back of the calves and sending his Tutela tumbling down onto the airbed, the symbols dropping to the floor noisily. Now laughing, Draco clamped a hand over the smaller boy's mouth to cut off the Christmas carols he'd started bellowing. He flung the bed covers over both their heads to shield their eyes from the harsh light glaring down at them. Harry wriggled, turning to peak up at the bed on the opposite side of the room. At his defeated sigh Draco also turned. He couldn't hold back a laugh at what he saw.

Jay was sprawled on the bed in a tangle of sheets and limbs, one arm flung over the edge and his head at an almost impossible angle. Now that the wizards were quiet, the older boy's soft snores could be clearly heard.

Harry gave an annoyed grunt and flopped back onto the blow-up bed, automatically curling into a ball against Draco's chest. Draco laughed again, absently running his fingers through the other's dark hair.

"Merry Christmas to you too."

…

"Happy Christmas, boys. I see you've finally decided to grace me with your presence. You could've put a decent T-shirt on, Jaedon." Frankie said, watching her son and his two friends stumble down the stairs, bleary-eyed but full of excitement. She was dressed in a long dressing gown and slippers, her long hair framing her face in soft waves, out of its usual bun.

"Talkin' o' presents…" Jay murmured, ignoring his mum's last words and making a beeline for the living room. He was wearing the baggy jogging bottoms and ripped T-shirt he'd slept in. The shirt's collar and one sleeve were completely missing and the waist was torn diagonally from just below his ribs to the original hem-line, his toned stomach visible.

"Not quite what I…never mind. Check under the tree, Santa might have decided you're a good kid after all."

Jay shook his head, his long hair flopping down into his eyes, for once not spiked with gel. "You don' honestly think I still…never mind."

The two wizards, also dressed in nightclothes, joined him in the living room and they dropped to the floor, sitting cross legged. They watching as Jay dived under the huge tree, the many white and silver baubles above him tinkling together. He wriggled back out, dragging a pile of wrapped gifts with him. He plucked two small, thin, square packages from the top and aimed them at Harry and Draco, who snatched them from the air with practiced ease.

Harry laughed, giving the present a shake. "Wonder what this could be."

Jay smirked before leaning against the wall beside him. "A bloody football. Ya know exactly what it is, so jus' open it, the suspense's killin' me."

Confused, Draco slid a finger under a flap of wrapping paper, neatly opening up the present. He pulled out a clear CD case that housed a plain disk and looked to Harry, who had gotten the same. The Tutela smiled and quickly explained.

"It's tradition. All of the videos that we've got of us running over the last year Jay takes and puts on a disk for Christmas." He smiled at Jay. "Thanks, hun."

Draco grinned, delighted. "Thanks, bro. And now the present Harry insisted we get you makes more sense."

Harry picked up one of the three packages he had brought down with him and slid it carefully over to the white-haired boy. "From both of us."

Jay tore into the wrappings, paper flying everywhere. He revealed a cardboard box with a picture of a bright yellow, top of the range, handheld digital camera on the lid. He whooped, ripping into the box to have a look, pressing buttons on the gadget and totally ignoring the instruction booklet that fell to the floor. "Thanks, babes!"

"Welcome." Harry said, snatching up the instructions and handing them to Frankie, who took them with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, what use is our cameraman without a camera?" Draco smiled, grabbing one of the other gifts beside Harry and passing it over his head to Frankie. "As thanks for letting us stay here and raid your fridge."

A look of mock-horror fell on her face. "You've been raiding my fridge? This better be good." She unwrapped the package and smiled happily. "Dark chocolate truffles, thanks boys, they're my favourites." She dropped bags of assorted sweets onto their laps. "As thanks for taking on the impossible task of keeping Jaedon entertained for over a week."

The last thing from under the tree was an envelope addressed to Jay. He opened the card inside and a few bank notes and a voucher fell onto his crossed legs. "Thanks mum." He picked up the voucher, squinting at the small print and smiling. "Yes! You're gunna let me get it?"

Harry recognised the logo on the small piece of card, having seen it many times before. "What you getting pierced this time?"

Frankie ran a hand through her hair. "He wants his belly-button pierced. I'm against it but…it's his body, it's up to him what he does with it. As long as he don't come running to me to complain that he's been refused a job or something because of them."

Jay just smiled again, stretching lazily. "I'm hungry." He left the room, following his mum towards the kitchen for breakfast.

Draco smiled, holding out a hand for Harry to wait behind with him and reached deep into the pocket of his pyjama bottoms with the other. He brought out a thin, black velvet box tied with a crimson and gold ribbon. He handed it to his Tutela with a nervous glint in his eyes. "Hope you like it."

Harry pulled on the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box as the material fell to the floor. A gasp escaped his lips as he gently took the jewellery inside from its packing. It was a length of gold cord threaded through a single decoration, the beginnings of a charm bracelet. The charm was attached to the bracelet with a gold ring and hanging from the ring was a heart shaped emerald. A pure white pearl had been painstakingly embedded into the centre of the face of the heart, shining in stark contrast to the vivid green around it. The whole charm was roughly the size of the nail on Harry's index finger and the brunette's face lit up with a bright smile at the delicate but still masculine beauty of the gift.

"Thank you Dray, my Angel, it's beautiful." Holding the bracelet carefully he shuffled forward, climbing into the blonde's lap. He held out the bracelet and his wrist, a wide grin still stretched across his lips as Draco fastened it in place. "Perfect fit. Thank you. I love it."

Draco blushed, a warm, fuzzy feeling pooling in his stomach. "You're welcome. Glad you like it."

Harry reached behind him for the last package he'd brought down and pressed it into Draco's hands.

Curious, the Angel carefully tore open the paper, revealing a maple wood box he instantly recognised. "H-How did you…" He broke off, lost for words, his long, pale fingers ghosting over the familiar artwork on the top. Twin dragons twisted and swirled together, intricately engraved onto the smooth wood. When the lid was opened the small silver dragon rotating slowly on its platform was exactly the same as he remembered and the tinkling music that had filled his childhood drifted through the suddenly quiet room. Severus had originally given him the music box the day he had been born and he'd managed to keep hold of it for eleven years. It had been his most prized possession but when he had joined the light and his father had disowned him, all of his possessions from the mansion, including the box, had either been burned or sold. "I thought I'd never see this again. How did you even know about it?"

"You hum that tune when you're concentrating. Snape happened to bring it up once in conversation and I knew I had to return it to you. It's taken since October to track it down, but it was worth every moment to see the look on your face."

"Thanks, darl, this really means a lot. I can't thank you enough." He reached out a finger to stroke one of the spread wings on the rotating dragon's back. He hugged Harry tightly and placed a kiss on his forehead. Smiling, he stood, dragging his Tutela up with him. "Come on, breakfast. You need to eat, you scrawny git."

…

"Wow."

"Wha' ya wowing for?" Jay questioned, staring at his friend.

"I've never had a Christmas dinner before." Harry replied softly. He sat down next to Draco when Frankie waved him over to the table.

"I don' get ya. You used to always cook Christmas dinner. You tell me every year how the smell of sprouts cookin' makes ya feel sick."

Harry squirmed; Draco and Frankie had also turned to look at him, waiting for his response. "Just because I've cooked it doesn't mean I've eaten it."

Draco's eyes closed, a slow breath passing his lips as he tried to calm the anger he felt towards the Dursleys. Frankie's eyes had flown wide but a small smile soon graced her features.

"Then you're in for a treat, turkey with all the trimmings, sprouts not included. Nobody likes them and they just ruin good food. But only eat what you can. Draco's mentioned you're stomachs still a little weak so don't make yourself ill."

As they all began to eat, Frankie watched the dark-haired boy that she'd be proud to call part of the family. It was one of those rare moments when Harry seemed to be genuinely happy, joking with his friends like any normal eleven year old. She quirked an eyebrow when the pale hand of Draco Malfoy brushed against the other's tan one but stayed silent as the younger boy clasped it. She didn't want to imagine all the things Harry had suffered through but she knew it had been bad with his family. He would laugh and smile many times when with Jay but she could always detect the dark, almost haunted look in his expressive eyes. But that had all changed when a mysterious blonde had turned up out of nowhere during the summer. It seemed second nature to Draco to know exactly how to make Harry smile and forget all the bad. For that she'd always be grateful.

…

"But why?" Jay whined, throwing random items of clothing at his friends as they attempted to pack.

It was Boxing Day and Harry and Draco were getting ready to leave. Harry zipped his small bag up easily, having packed lightly and watched Draco struggle with his huge trunk as he replied.

"Because we've been summoned by twins that know way too much about explosives to refuse." Harry joked with a grin. "Want a hand with that, Dray?"

Draco stuck his tongue out but nodded thankfully. Harry climbed on top of the trunk, weighing it down enough to make it possible for his Angel to secure the latches. At the other end of the room a mobile started to bleep and Jay launched himself at it before Harry had even noticed. The white-haired boy kept a hand flat on Harry's forehead as he answered the phone, leaning as far away as possible from the brunette's grappling arms.

"Yo, explosion twins! They're staying here-gaah! Haz get off me, midget-ahh shit Blondie that was my fuckin' nose-" He broke off, trying to fight both Harry and Draco off as they tried to get the phone back. A moment later and Jay was pinned by Draco sitting on his thighs and Harry beside his head, phone in hand and legs stretching out to trap Jay's arms and chest to the bed.

"Sorry about that," Harry managed to say into the phone between deep breaths. "Our monkey got free." He wriggled his eyebrows at Jay and the older boy mock-glared back.

"You're alive then? Sounded like someone was getting beaten up." Fred replied loudly, not used to communicating the muggle way.

"Nah, we're fine and you can talk normally, don't have to shout. You coming round soon?"

"Yeah we'll be there in-" The line cut out for a second before reconnecting with audible pop. "Now. You ready? We're heading up the street."

"Erm…think so. See you in a second." Harry hung up and gestured to the window. He slung his bag over his shoulder and helped Draco heave his trunk down the stairs with Jay following close behind.

Frankie met them at the bottom of the stairs with a warm smile. The doorbell rang from behind her and two people with bright red hair were visible through the small window in the door. They were soon gestured inside and the twins took it in turns to shake Jay's hand and kiss Frankie's.

"You must be Jay." Fred said with a nod to Jay, a wide grin spread across his freckled face.

Jay nodded and returned his grin. "And you must be the explosion twins."

"Hear that Fred, we have a reputation." George answered.

"But of course, so do you." Fred added, nodding to Jay.

"And how's the gossip sounding?" Jay said, not missing a beat.

"Well, not all of it's good." Fred grinned again.

"But all of it's brilliant." Jay finished.

Harry and Draco stared between the three, totally lost for words.

"What just happened?" Harry asked.

"Something strange." Draco replied.

"But then again." Harry said, with a smirk.

"We shouldn't expect anything different." Draco continued, cottoning on to what his Tutela was doing.

"From those weirdos." Harry ended.

Frankie stared at the group of boy's but didn't comment. Instead she leant over and kissed Harry and Draco on the cheek. "See you in the summer, then. Have a good time and don't do anything I wouldn't."

The two first-year students hugged her back and said their goodbyes. They then attacked Jay with hugs and fake sobs.

"Gunna miss you, mate." Draco said, ruffling a hand through the other's Mohawk.

"Yeah we will, but we'll be round all the time during the summer, promise." Harry muffled into the older boy's T-shirt as arms were thrown around his neck.

"You better be, bros. Now get outta here and have fun doing whatever it is you're goin' off to do." He pushed his friends out of the house and watched as they walked down the road with the twins, waving all the way.

The four wizards were met at the bottom of the street by a thin, balding, middle-aged man with bright red hair that could only belong to a Weasley. Draco stepped past Harry, sticking his hand out with a polite smile.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasley. Thank you for allowing me and Harry to stay at your house tonight."

The man's eyes bugged and he reluctantly shook the Draco's hand. "M-Malfoy? It's alright, but I wasn't aware you were staying. Ron never mentioned you were friends…never mind, there's plenty of room. And please, call me Arthur." Arthur Weasley nodded to Harry, a glint shining in his eyes. "You too. Now all of you grab the rope."

He held out a length of old rope and his sons obeyed without a second thought. Confused, Harry hesitantly laid a hand on one end but strengthened his grip when Draco placed a hand over his and curled his fingers tighter around the rope. The blonde then stood behind him, arms to either side of his Tutela as he also took hold of the rope. Harry was about to question him when Draco quickly explained.

"Haz, it's a portkey. This is your first time and I guarantee you'll end up flat on your backside. I think you'd like to be saved that embarrassment?" Although he could not see it, Harry could hear the smirk playing in his voice. "Oh, and don't let go."

They nodded, letting Arthur know that they were ready and the man touched his other hand to the portkey. A second later and they had arrived in the middle of a small field. Harry gasped and fell back against Draco's chest, the blonde's arms coming to support him. He rested for a moment, waiting for the unusual sensation of a hook dragging him by the naval to pass. He felt Draco's chest rise and fall as he chuckled. A minute later and Harry stood properly and grabbed his Angel's hand. Together they followed the three Weasley's towards their home.

The Burrow was a large, stone structure that had probably started out as a barn house. But since its creation, several crooked stories had been haphazardly piled on top. The impossible architecture meant that the whole place was kept upright by magic. The large front garden was a mess of wellington boots, an old cauldron and several chickens plucking lazily at the ground. Harry loved it.

Draco was about to open his mouth and remark about how the whole place looked like it was about to fall over, but seeing the slow smile spread across Harry's lips he held his tongue. He sighed, coming to the decision that he would be nice towards the Weasley's. But only for as long as Harry was.

The front door led into the kitchen which was packed with people. The twins, Arthur, Harry and Draco joined Molly, Percy and Ron Weasley as well as Hermione, Neville and a red-headed girl.

The Twins, Neville, Hermione, Harry and Draco all stepped towards each other, forming a small group on one side of the well scrubbed table in the middle of the room. All the other people in the kitchen were gaping, all their eyes fixed on Draco. Ron was the first to break.

"For Merlin's sake, why's Malfoy here? And Potter! And the rest of them…" He broke off, remembering what Dumbledore had asked. "I mean, glad they're here and all, but why?"

Molly and Arthur stared at their youngest son, confused. The witch put her hands on her waist, waiting for an explanation. "We thought you'd invited them?"

Fred and George slung their arms over their friends, identical looks of innocence on their faces. "No, we did. Didn't you get our note?"

Molly's gaze moved to the scrap of parchment on the table, covered in large, scrawling writing.

_Gone to pick up first-years. Be back soon._

_A, F and G._

"Yes, but it made more sense for Ron to have invited them, as he is also a first year." Molly replied with a raised brow. "And nobody even mentioned who was coming. A few were a little…unexpected." Her eyes landed on Draco for a second before returning to her sons.

"Are you against inter-year group friendships, mum? Isn't that like…ageist or something?" Fred said with a smirk.

Arthur Weasley let out a sigh; tired of the animosity he could feel building in the room. "I'm sure that's not what your mother meant and we shouldn't have made assumptions." He rubbed his temple, groaning as a thought struck him. He did a quick head count. "But we have four guests. Even with Bill and Charlie away, we only have three spare beds and not enough room to transfigure a fourth."

Ron met Draco's and Harry's eyes with a smirk, ignoring their silent pleas for him to stay quiet. "I'm sure Mal-err…Draco and Harry won't mind sharing."

Molly's face once again clouded in confusion as she stared at her son as if he'd gone mad. "Don't be silly, be can't ask them to share."

Draco narrowed his eyes at Ron before speaking up, aiming his words at the red-headed woman. "It's no problem, we don't mind."

"Nonsense. They can't share, they're two growing boys."

"Mrs. Weasley, it's alright."

A determined look crossed her face and the friend's knew they'd lost the miniature argument. "Call me Molly. And no, it's not alright, one of you will stay in the living room. Now come on, we can't be standing in the kitchen all night." She lead them through to the front room, oblivious to Harry and Draco behind her, bickering over who'd be on the couch.

The living room was small but cosy, filled with a sofa, two armchairs and a large, wooden, wireless radio in the corner. Arthur joined his wife on the sofa after telling his young daughter to go to bed. The twins fought over one of the arm chairs. Fred, who lost, sat on one arm of the chair with a disgruntled look on his face, his legs over his brother's and feet resting on the other arm. Harry and Draco claimed the other chair, both small enough to huddle up and fit together on it. Molly sent them a confused, almost disapproving look but kept quiet when she saw that no one except her husband and herself seemed to be fazed by their close relationship. Hermione and Neville were quick to take an arm of the chair each which left Ron and Percy standing in the doorway. Percy looked around, sniffed haughtily but dropped cross-legged onto the floor. If he made a fuss in front of the guests, his mother wouldn't be pleased. Ron huffed, glaring around the room, his face glowing red with a mixture of anger and annoyance.

"Just sit down, Ron." Percy muttered, taking a book from within a fold of his robes.

Draco cleared his throat, reaching into Harry's shirt pocket. He drew out a small bag and set it on the floor. He politely requested someone to enlarge it, not wanting to give away that he and Harry had had the tracking spell removed from their wands. He leant down, handing packages around the room. "From me and Harry." He offered as explanation.

Neville and the twins received large boxes full of assorted muggle chocolates. Arthur, Percy and Ron unwrapped selection boxes and bunches of flowers were passed to Molly and Hermione. There was another bunch of flowers carefully packed into the bag for the Weasley daughter. They all said their thanks, the twins already diving into the treats. Arthur was analysing the box with excited eyes, muttering to himself about the genius of muggles.

Hermione smiled and picked up the packages she'd brought with her. She gave Harry, Draco, Fred and George books on Quidditch, Neville a book on rare magical plants and everyone else pouches full of muggle sweets. Neville blushed and handed out similar gifts.

Molly noticed Ron didn't seem to be a part of the group of friends. He looked to be edging closer and closer towards the door. "You lot and Ron aren't very close then?" She questioned. The friends shook their heads and the witch sighed. She knew that if Ron was to do well, he needed to be seen with these people.

"So what did you lot get for Christmas?" Hermione asked the room in general, changing the subject.

"Haz managed to track down something of sentimental value and returned it to me for Christmas. It was lost when I was kicked out of the manor but somehow he managed to find it." Draco said with a smile.

Harry held out his wrist with a grin. "I got this from Dray and a friend gave us both DVDs."

Ron sneered unpleasantly. "DVD? Isn't that a muggle thing? Not like a Malfoy to be friends with a muggle."

"It's a device muggles use to store footage and sound. Have a problem with muggles, Ron?" Hermione questioned. A quick glare from the red-head's mother had Ron shaking his head. "Did you get movies?"

Harry shook his head, ignoring the youngest Weasley brother, who was muttering to himself. "No, it's a collection of videos we took over the year."

Draco pressed a finger against his pale lips, warning his Tutela not to say any more.

Arthur Weasley clapped his hands together, delighted. "Brilliant, I've always wanted to see a DVD work. Just the other day I learned a spell to get them to play with magic. Do you happen to have it with you?"

"Mr. Weasley, I am certain you don't want to see it. It's…we practise parkour." Draco murmured. The man stared at him blankly, not understanding what the blonde was trying to say. "You know, free-running."

His eyes widened and he gulped in a breath. Molly Weasley was doing a rather creditable impression of a fish as she realised what they were talking about. The Weasley sons were staring questioningly at their parents and Neville's brows were furrowed in confusion. Hermione grinned.

"You've got clips of you running? We must see." The witch said cheerfully.

Draco shook his head, pleading silently with his eyes. "You don't understand. The sport, it's not…acceptable in the wizarding world. It's usually referred to as dark or evil."

"Wait, what? What's going on? Just play the DVD." Fred said impatiently.

Arthur sighed but nodded reluctantly, holding a hand out to Harry to take the disk he had taken from his bag. A flick of a wand later and the disk was hovering in mid-air, rotating slowly. The video was projected up onto the wall, the sound seeming to come from all around them. For ten minutes the group sat in silence, watching as Harry, Draco and a white-haired muggle boy jumped, leapt and fell from various locations and using many different obstacles. Percy Weasley was the first to crack.

"They're Death Eaters!"

Harry spluttered, his eyes bugging. "We're what?"

"Haz, what did I tell you when we first talked about going running?" Draco asked quietly, ignoring the accusing stares of the other's in the room.

"You said Death Eaters were taught it as a necessity. It was used to get away if they lost their wand. So…wait, correct me if I'm wrong but because parkour's associated with Death Eaters, anyone that does it is therefore one of them?"

Molly had turned a deathly white and a slight tremble ran through her voice. "You-Know-Who has all his followers trained. It's horrible, evil…I'm disappointed you taught him those…tricks, Mr. Malfoy. You know the Ministry is strongly against it."

Draco's face became cold in a split second. He ignored the gentle hand Harry placed on his shoulder and glared icy daggers at the witch. "Excuse my rudeness, but how dare you? You're accusing me of…I don't even know what. You think I'm turning him to the dark side or something? I lost- nearly lost my life trying to get away from Voldemort. Please do not jump to conclusions. Yes, I was trained by Death Eaters but Harry wasn't. Harry was out on the rooftops years before he even knew about the existence of magic."

Hermione spoke up nervously, wanting to defend her friends but not wanting to speak against adults. "Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, but they're probably right. It's not unheard of for muggles to practise parkour. Muggles see it as a sport, not an evil hobby."

Doubt was clear in the older witch's eyes but she nodded reluctantly. "Call me Molly. Alright, I believe you. But if I hear that there're any negative motivations for you two practising this…sport, than I will have to inform the headmaster. And please, I ask that you keep your hobby away from my house and away from my family. If I find out you've involved one of us, there will be trouble."

Arthur Weasley nodded in support of his wife's words. The twins groaned, disappointed.

"Aww, we were hoping you'd teach us some of that stuff. It would be fun."

Draco cut in before Molly could open her mouth again. "We wouldn't go against your mother's wish and besides, no offense, but none of you are fit enough."

The twins sighed but nodded. Ron huffed, beginning to pay attention. "Oh come on, there's no way Potter's stronger than me. And I can run nearly as quick as the twins."

Harry laughed quietly, flexing his arms, briefly showing of the muscles he'd built up over the last few years. "Sure, Ron, whatever. And Dray doesn't mean just physically fast; you have to be mentally quick too. You can't let anything take you by surprise."

…

Later that night, everyone was outside watching the last few moments of the sunset when Harry let out a yelp. He launched into a backward handspring, narrowly missing the fist flying towards his face. He kicked out blindly while his feet were in the air, feeling one foot connect with something solid. He landed low, crouching into a defensive position, ignoring the pull of the muscle in his shoulder. He saw that he'd managed to kick Ron, the owner of the fist, in the chest, sending the red-head to the floor.

"Haz, that was sloppy. Arms straight, could've injured yourself." Draco murmured, glaring at Ron, who had been the owner of the fist.

Harry wrinkled his nose up, nodding. "Yeah I know, I'd do better if I had time to warm up and think about it. That was a little bit…spur of the moment." He narrowed his eyes at Ron who was frowning.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Screeched Molly, her face turning a deep red. "You can't go round throwing punches at our guests!"

Ron shrank back under the combined glares of most of the group. "I-I was testing them. Can't let anything take you by surprise and all. They can't say we're no good to do something then not be able t themselves. But now I see they can so I think I'll just be going…" He started to walk back inside, shuffling his feet.

"Well, yes, I think it's time you lot got yourselves to bed. Busy day tomorrow. Harry, you're in Percy's room. Hermione, you'll be sharing with Ginny, I'll show you the way. Neville you're in with Ron. Draco, you're in the living room, I hope the couch will be alright just for one night?"

The first years all nodded, heading off to their various rooms. Percy muttered something about rooming with a Death Eater before vanishing up to his room.

Inside, Draco grabbed Harry's arm, whispering into his ear. "If you need me, doesn't matter about the time, just call." He gave him a quick peck on the cheek and whispered a soft "Night" before wandering through to the front room.

…

Draco stirred restlessly, drawing his wand and casting _lumos. _He couldn't sleep. He'd gotten too used to the feel of Harry curled against him, the sound of the brunette's soft breathing as he slept. A headache was slowly starting to build just behind his left eye but he ignored it, blaming it on lack of sleep. He lazily stretched out a hand to pick up the book Percy had left on the small coffee table but froze when an agonised yell came from the room above him. A yell he'd recognise anywhere. He pushed himself up, hurtling from the room and flying up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He heard Percy's panicked voice and burst into the room. He flew to the mattress on the floor, scooping the writhing boy into his arms, not caring as they both got tangled in a mess of blankets.

"Hey, shh, it's okay. Can you hear me? Tell me what's happening."

"The graveyard-no! _If he wants to die, so be it_. I can't stop it, the wand. _You little shit. Have it your own way then! Avad-_NO!" He yelled out again, his hands fisting into Draco's T-shirt as he sobbed. "No! He can't be dead-he isn't. He came back but why…_serves him right_. He can't die, he isn't dead. My Angel."

Draco pieced together the jumbled words of his Tutela, holding the smaller boy closer and murmuring softly into his hair. He didn't notice the large crowd beginning to gather in the doorway. "Yes, listen to yourself. I'm not dead. I came back for you. Can't you hear me? Just wake up, please." He couldn't stop the traitorous hitch in his voice as tears began to roll slowly down his cheeks. "Harry, please."

"Is that you? Dray? Are you here?" Harry felt around blindly, still lost in the nightmare.

The blonde grabbed one of his searching hands, pressing it to his face. "Yes it's me and I need you to wake up. Can you do that?"

Large, emerald green eyes fluttered open and Harry gasped, burying deeper into his Angel's shirt. "I thought…"

"I know what you thought. You saw me die, didn't you? And it sounded like you saw it from Voldemort's point of view. That's the same as last time, right?"

Harry nodded, catching his breath. "Yeah, the original memory I got was from his point of view, as if I was him. But this time…it was like it was both of us locked in the same head. But I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't stop him."

"You can't stop a memory. But you were still aware this time, I think that means you're getting stronger." A cough came from behind him and he strained his neck, his eyes bugging as he registered all the people standing just outside the room. "Please, all of you, forget what you've seen. Harry suffers nightmares but we've sorted it now. Why don't we all just go back to bed?" They all stared at him for a moment before slowly drifting off, muttering amongst themselves but too tired to argue. He sighed, knowing he'd have to come up with a decent excuse by morning.

A minute later and the blonde was supporting Harry as they made their way down the stairs. They curled up together on the couch, instantly falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, unable to fight their exhaustion.

…

Harry woke, stretching his arms up over his head. There was just enough room on the couch for him and Draco, the blonde having curled around the smaller boy, who had slept in his usual rolled up position. They were face to face and the brunette was about to murmur a sleepy 'good morning' when Draco pressed a long finger against his lips, nodding over his shoulder. Slowly, Harry turned his head, his eyes wide. Mrs. Weasley stood staring at them, hands on her dressing gown covered hips. Her young daughter stood beside her, the small bunch of flowers Harry and Draco had bought her for Christmas clasped in her hands. She blushed, holding them up and nodded in thanks before hurrying from the room. Thankfully everyone else in the house was still asleep.

"What happened last night?" Molly asked, not bothering with small talk.

For once it was Harry who came up with the excuse. "I once asked Dray about some of the things Voldemort's done. Since then I've suffered from nightmares where Dray gets murdered. But the dreams seem to go away when he sleeps nearby."

"And by nearby you mean…" She gestured to the two boys, vaguely. She sighed deeply as they grinned almost sheepishly. "Up now, anyway, time for breakfast. You both look like you need it. Especially you, Harry, you're just skin and bones."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley, but Dray makes sure I eat enough. I just burn it all off."

"Call me Molly. And that's nonsense, you're too small, you should make sure you eat more. I'll get you a big breakfast."

Draco's eyes narrowed as he struggled to keep his temper. "Mrs. Weasley, he does eat enough, I make sure of it. But he struggles with large meals; his stomach isn't the strongest."

"Please, call me Molly. And a growing boy can never have too much food. As his guardian you should be taking more responsibility, Draco."

The blonde fixed her with a dark, icy stare that had her taking a step back, quite impressive considering he was still lying down on the sofa. "Stop insulting me. It is my greatest priority to keep him safe and healthy. I take my duty as his guardian very seriously. After nearly ten years of starvation at the hands of his family, the family Dumbledore left him with, his stomach can't take large portions of food."

"He's right, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, relaxing as his Angel's arms snaked around his torso. "Insult him anymore and you will be offending both of us." He stopped talking, putting the conversation aside and smiling as Neville stumbled into the room, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning Harry, Draco." He swatted at Draco's feet, motioning for them to make room for him to sit. "Merlin, Ron's snoring sounds like a heard of Hippogriffs. How're you two doing? Quite a scare you gave us, Harry."

Molly stuttered at the situation, confused. "Wait, don't you find this a little strange?" Neville looked at her blankly and she gestured at Harry and Draco once more.

"What, them sleeping together? No, we've all got used to it, Harry gets terrible dreams and Draco seems to be the only one who can stop them. It was more strange having them apart. No one cares, I mean, it's only to help Harry."

The witch shook her head but left to make breakfast. It amazed her that a muggle-born, a Potter, a Longbottom and her two Weasley sons seemed to accept and even be friends with a Malfoy. She had a lot to tell Dumbledore.

…

Draco took the package from his Tutela, casting various detection spells on it. Satisfied that it wasn't a trap, he handed it back.

They had got back to Hogwarts about midday and the two wizards had headed up to the dorm to unpack, leaving behind the rest of their friends, who had insisted on going straight to the Great Hall for lunch. The package had been waiting for Harry on the foot of his bed. With a gleam of excitement shining in his eyes, Harry tore open the parcel, revealing a bundle of silvery gray material. He grabbed two ends and lifted, shaking out the gleaming folds of what he could now see was a cloak.

"Lucky bastard." Draco said, the insult softened by the almost affectionate tone of his voice. He ran a hand over the fluid material.

"What is it?" Harry murmured, swinging it over his shoulders.

"An Invisibility Cloak. See?" The Angel pointed at the spot from where Harry's body had disappeared from. From the corner of his eye he noticed a note and he picked it up, passing it to Harry.

Harry frowned, not recognising the narrow, loopy writing.

_Your father left this in my possession before he died.  
>It is time it was returned to you.<br>Use it well.  
>A Very Merry Christmas to you.<em>

"Who's it from?" Draco asked, curiously.

"The letter says it's from my father." He smiled a small smile, fighting the unexpected tears threatening to well in his eyes.

Draco drew him into a one armed hug, using the other to catch a stray tear on his thumb.

…

"The note told me to use it well."

"Yeah, for escaping danger, not to wander aimlessly around the castle." Draco whispered in reply.

"Oh come on, what harm can it do? Besides, we need to check the Restricted Section of the library, see if there's anything on Flamel." Harry replied, keeping his voice quiet so as not to wake the other boys sleeping around them.

Draco sighed, nodding in defeat. "Fine, but I'm going with you. No way am I letting you get yourself lost in this place in the middle of the night."

…

"What did you do?" Draco hissed.

Harry dropped the wailing book to the floor, its blood-curdling screams ringing out around them. He grabbed his Angel's hand, throwing the cloak over them both and sprinting from the library.

They came to a stop inside a room in a forgotten part of the school. Out of breath, they grinned at each other. Draco's grin slowly faded as he looked around the room, his good eye adjusting quickly to the darkness, the only source of light being the stars outside a large window.

"Erm…where are we?"

"How the hell should I know?" Harry went deeper into the room, stopping in front of a magnificent golden mirror, as high as the ceiling and standing on two clawed feet. He cast a soft _lumos_, holding up his wand to read the inscription along the top.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._

"The Mirror of Erised." Draco breathed, running a hand over the intricately carved frame. "Stand in front of it, what do you see?"

Started by the strange request, Harry moved, staring at the reflected image of himself. He gasped, whirling around. In the mirror he could see two different images. They flickered in and out of focus, one picture replacing the other then fading back to the first. The first reflection was him and Draco standing together, hand in hand in front of a large group of people that looked like familiar strangers.

"I see two different things. Two different backgrounds. The first is me and you, surrounded by people…there's a man that looks like me, only older and with hazel eyes. He's with a woman. She looks really happy, but has tears in her eyes, eyes that are exactly like mine; shape, colour, everything. All the other people, they look…I think…can't you see them?"

"Haz, darl, the mirror is showing you the Potters. I know it has something to do with what you want to see, but I can't remember. No, I can't see them, as it's what you want. Actually I don't see anything in the mirror."

Harry concentrated on the second flickering image, a frown pulling down the sides of his lips. "That's strange. The second reflection, it's so different. It has me and you in it again, but this time you're behind me, arms and wings around me, protecting me it looks like. But from what? Wait, there's a black heap in the background. Looks like…I think it may be a body."

"It'll be Voldemort, finally dead. Seems you're seeing what I should see in the mirror. That's weird. Maybe it's linked to our- did you hear that?" He cocked his head, ears pricked, searching for the soft rustle of fabric he'd heard. He drew his wand, preparing to either defend or attack. "Who's there? Step forward or I'll assume you're an enemy."

A muffled sigh came from the huge, arched doorway and Dumbledore appeared from thin air. "Sorry if I startled you, but it's not every day one gets to hear such an interesting conversation."

Draco's wand didn't waver as he directed it straight at the elderly headmaster. "How much did you hear while spying on us?"

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't spy, I merely observe. Care to explain what you were talking about?"

"To you? Sorry sir, but not a chance." Draco muttered, unconsciously taking a defending step in front of his Tutela.

Dumbledore shook his head, smiling brightly, a sparkle in his eyes. "Then I take it you don't want to learn about the Mirror of Erised?"

The blonde hesitated, torn between the want to keep Dumbledore out of their business and his curiosity about the mirror. "It shows the viewer what they want to see. We know that already. Now if you don't mind, sir, I think we missed curfew and we need to be getting back to the Tower."

The two first-years began heading towards the door but the headmaster called after them. "Nearly correct. But not quite." He sighed, knowing if he wanted to get information out of the boys, he'd have to part with some of his own. "It shows someone their heart's desires."

Harry paused, his bright emerald eyes widening and locking with Draco's deep mercury gaze. They nodded to each other, a silent message passing between them. _Shows someone their heart's desires_. And Harry had Draco's heart, so he saw both of their desires.

"Thank you, sir, that knowledge has been very useful. Now, we really need to be heading to bed." The Angel grabbed his Tutela's hand, hurrying them both away before Dumbledore could stop them with more questions.

The headmaster stared after them, dumbstruck. They'd learned what they wanted to and now they were gone, leaving him behind, none the wiser as to what they had been talking about. He shook his head; hopefully the Weasley boy had had more luck.

…

"They're Death Eaters, both of them!"

Dumbledore dropped his quill onto the desk, eyes flying up to meet Ron's.

"Excuse me?"

"They do that evil sport…parkour I think they call it. They've got a muggle involved. He looks like a proper freak. They do all sorts of crazy things, things that could only be possible with dark magic. And they tried to beat me up, Potter kicked me to the floor!"

The professor smiled, his hands clasping together. Finally, he had an excuse to bring Malfoy and Harry up to his office and question their behaviour. After all, he had a witness that spoke of them practicing the dark sport and that was reason enough for a small-scale interrogation.

…

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


	13. Grapefruits and angels

_**For a summary, warning and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N- Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. It's been a busy couple weeks, hectic would be an understatement. It's still exam season (don't think it'll ever end -_-), I dumped my boyfriend and i started a new job. I was also either stupid or brave for I volunteered to babysit my kid brother and sister for 'a while' and that 'while' turned into roughly 2 from that I've been all over East Anglia, day tripping to Cromer and...I went to the Warner Bros. Making of Harry Potter Exhibition! It was totally awesome, I'd recommend it to anyone that gets the oportunity :) At the moment I am talking to you all from Greece, so anyone that reviews/favourites/subscribes/reads will recieve a virtual Mythos or frappacino :) so...yammas...  
><strong>_

...

"What do you think he's trying to achieve by making us wait out here?"

Draco Malfoy held back a yawn as his eyes blinked tiredly at Harry Potter. "It's something people do to make them look more important."

The two first-years had been waiting outside the headmaster's office for just over ten minutes and still there was no sign of Dumbledore allowing them entrance.

Suddenly a loud clanging sounded from the other side of the door, followed by several muffled curses and Draco swore he heard someone sing out the word 'grapefruit'. The large wooden door swung open slowly and a flustered looking Dumbledore waved them in.

"Please, take a seat, both of you. I was not aware of your arrival, got tied up with some important business."

Draco shot his friend an I-told-you-so look and received a tired pout in return. They sat down in the sagging sofa opposite Dumbledore's desk and waited for the elderly professor, who was busy glaring at a huge bird with a magnificent plumage made up of all the shades of fire. The phoenix ignored him in favour of staring at Draco. Confused, the blonde met its obsidian gaze, startling as it bowed its head almost formally. Turning back to the professor, the phoenix nipped sharply at his wrinkled fingers, trilling beautifully.

"Grapefruit."

Shaking his head, Dumbledore sat down at the throne-like chair behind his desk. "Sorry for calling you both here so early on a Sunday morning." His eyes widened slightly as he got a good look at the students and a small frown pulled down the corners of his lips. "I appreciate that it's the weekend but please take into account the dress code of the school."

Harry looked down at himself, not seeing anything wrong with his dark skinny jeans, green and black chequered hoodie and the length of chain that he often used as a belt. He glanced over at Draco's outfit of a gray, hooded vest jacket over a long sleeved black top and denim jeans and shrugged, pulling the hood down from his friend's head.

"Better, professor?"

"Not quite what I-" He broke off, seeing the bird leaning towards him out the corner of his eye. When its head was only a few inches from Dumbledore's ear, it let out one more musical shriek.

"Grapefruit!"

Harry was staring at the phoenix in amusement, not sure what was happening but Draco had had enough.

"Sir, please, just give it what it wants." The blonde muttered, watching as the phoenix nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore looked up at his student with a smile that made him look like he was addressing a small child. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I have been trying to all morning but I can't work out what it is he wants. And yes, he's a he, not an it."

Impatient, Draco stood up and plucked a grapefruit from the overflowing fruit bowl balanced haphazardly on a table by the office door. Using his wand he cut it neatly in half before placing it down at the phoenix's perch. "Three times he's asked and that's only since we've been here."

"Many thanks, Lapsus." The bird murmured from where its beak was buried deep in one half of the fruit, a few droplets of crimson juice running down the pale orange skin.

"Dray, how did you…" Harry murmured as Draco sat back down next to him.

The headmaster was watching the youngest Malfoy closely, the cogs of his famously brilliant mind turning. "Could you…understand Fawkes, Draco?"

"I-You couldn't…? I didn't…call it intuition." Making a mental note to find out about the strange occurrence later, Draco quickly changed the subject. "Why did you call us here today, Professor?"

"I was simply going to inquire about your Christmas break. I heard some rather interesting tales."

Harry rolled his eyes, leaning against his Angel's shoulder tiredly. Dumbledore had called them up to his office before breakfast on the last day of the holidays just to be nosy. Lovely. "We had a wonderful time Sir, despite what the Weasley's may have told you."

"Yes, well, the Weasley's have been known to get their details mixed." He murmured darkly to himself, only realising he'd spoken aloud when the words had passed his lips. "I mean," His eyes flew wide as he desperately tried to cover his slip. "I mean…" He drifted off, not able to find the words he was searching for.

"We know you've had them spying on us, Sir." Draco muttered with a cold sneer. "Subtlety isn't their strongest suit. What have you heard, Sir? That we're Death Eaters? I can assure you, that idea is laughable."

Dumbledore rubbed a hand over his temples as if rubbing away the beginnings of a headache. "Spying is such a strong word, I think observing is more appropriate. I'm not accusing you of anything without proof. Unless, of course, there's a reason to accuse you?"

"No, Sir. We practise the muggle sport of free-running, is all. No need for concern." Harry answered, wanting to be finished in the office as soon as possible.

"Are the Dursley's aware of you both practicing this…sport?"

"No, I fail to see-"

"So you didn't stay with your family over the beginning of the Christmas break?"

"…No, Sir." Harry felt Draco clasp his hand and sighed gratefully, knowing that his Angel would now take over answering the bombardment of questions.

_Finally_, Dumbledore thought, rubbing his hands together, _we're getting some useful information_. "And may I ask where you stayed instead? Naturally, as your headmaster, I must ensure your safety."

Draco frowned, wondering why Dumbledore was playing dumb. "Sir, you know where we were."

"How could I, my dear boy?"

"Just the other day you sent wizards to where we stayed. Made them question the totally clueless muggle family and raid their home."

"I did no such thing." Dumbledore's voice raised an octave in defence of the accusation.

Harry rolled his eyes, wondering just how primitive the headmaster thought muggles to be. He took his phone from his jeans pocked and quickly scrolled through his texts, swiftly locating the one he was after. Holding it up for the professor to see he thought it appropriate to translate the message. Jay only used the bare essential letters needed to get his words across and even that was mostly misspelled. Come to think of it, Harry wondered how Snape had ever managed to read out the text during that first potions lesson.

"Basically it says; thought you'd want to know, some official looking guys in dresses showed up asking about you two. At the moment they're searching the house, mum don't look too pleased. Think she'll throw them out bouncer style in a minute."

Blue eyes flew up from the screen, filled with guilt for a second before twinkling grandfatherly. "Ah, yes. Sorry to go behind your backs, boys, but as I've said before, I must ensure your safety."

"I can promise you, Sir; we were a lot safer than we would have been had we returned to the Dursley's." Draco stated matter-of-factly.

"I doubt that is the case, nothing is stronger than the bonds of family, but I have no choice but to take your word for it. Now, there's one more thing I wish to ask you about. I understand and respect your want for privacy but could I enquire about what I overheard during our little meeting at the Mirror of Erised? I am rather intrigued by the mention of wings."

"What do you suspect, Sir?" Harry asked, the perfect look of innocence plastered on his face.

The professor thought for a moment. What did he think? Not many things had wings, at least, things that would be thought of as a heart's desire and not a nightmare. Veela had wings and so did some vampires but it's well known that the Malfoy's are all pureblood and the Potter bloodline could be tracked back through many generations.

"I honestly don't know. Creature inheritance crossed my mind, but I know that's not possible."

"Haz's human and I am a hundred percent pureblood." A pureblood Angel, Draco added mentally. "I take it you heard Haz say something about being protected by the wings? Well, you got the wrong end of the stick professor."

"Stick, Mr. Malfoy?"

"It's a muggle saying, means you've got the wrong idea. He simply meant the wings on his wand. The wand and therefore the wings will protect him."

Harry took out his wand, showing Dumbledore the intricate silver wings wrapped around it. He almost felt the moment that the headmaster gave in to defeat.

"Very well. Is there anything else you want to tell me or would like to talk about?" The Headmaster asked, sounding for all the world like the two students had come to him to have a chat instead of being summoned.

"No, Sir."

"Yes, Sir." Harry broke in, a thought surfacing in his mind. "We've been told to do a research project on Nicholas Flamel for homework. I know we've left it late but we've been trying to find out about him all Christmas and we haven't had any luck. I don't suppose you know anything?"

Dumbledore chuckled, letting a grandfatherly twinkle shine in his eyes. Maybe if he did the boys this one favour, they would be thankful and therefore more willing to divulge information with him. "He's a dear friend of mine, although I don't know many technical facts about him. He was extremely knowledgeable and had many extravagant ways of researching, a truly great wizard. I'm sorry I can't be more help, but here." He slid a draw open in his desk and plucked out a chocolate frog card that lay nestled between a box of lemon drops and his Put-Outer. He glanced at the smiling picture of himself on the front and handed it over. "Glad to help with your work, boys."

The two friends nodded and stood, heading towards the door. Harry caught his refection in an ornate mirror and thought back to the Mirror of Erised. Thoughts of his parents entered his mind almost automatically and he turned once more back the old professor.

"Headmaster, do you know what happened that night, the night Voldemort tried to kill me?"

The only sign of surprise on Dumbledore's face was the slight raising of a single silver eyebrow. "Unfortunately, Harry, that night is as much of a mystery to me as the night that your Malfoy friend here turned his back on the Dark Lord. There are many rumours but only one thing is certain. Your mother and father were extremely brave people that did everything they could to protect you."

…

"Long time no speak, Mr. Malfoy, I was finally letting myself entertain the idea that you might have gotten to grips with this life."

"Sorry to disappoint." Draco said, not out loud but instead with a thought. He pushed off from the sink he'd been leaning against, turning away from the mirror he had used to summon the voice and towards Harry.

"You mistake me, my dear Draco, I miss our delightful conversations; you bitterness is rather amusing." Said the voice that was as indescribable as Draco remembered.

Harry caught Draco's eyes and raised a single brow in question. The Fallen nodded, waving his hand in a clear gesture of 'just a second'.

"Glad you can find entertainment in my angst." The blonde thought sarcastically. ""What should I call you? You seem to know everything about me but I don't even know your name."

His mind was silent for a moment and he wondered if the voice would refuse to answer. Finally the voice spoke in a murmur. "I abandoned my name many years ago, Mr. Malfoy. I go by many different titles now, depending on my mood. At the moment I feel like Gabriel. Unoriginal, I know, but you can't beat the classics."

"Okay Gabby, could you do me a favour?" He heard Gabriel sigh disapprovingly but could still detect something akin to a smile playing in the voice. "Can you communicate with me and Haz together? I'm only going to repeat everything to him anyway."

"Sure. I can do that." A voice called out loud. A voice that wasn't male, female, high or low.

Both wizards whirled around and saw a figure leaning against a cubicle door, arms crossed and one leg bent so the foot could rest flat against the door behind it.

The person was dressed in a tunic similar to which Draco had worn when he had fallen. It was a tight fitting, knee length garment made from a material that was impossibly black and belted with gold rope. Trimming the neck-line that reached up to the jaw and all the hems was heavy gold stitching. On its hands (for it was impossible to tell whether the person was male or female) were skin tight, black satin gloves pulled all the way up to the short sleeves of the tunic. It was also wearing black tights that completely covered its legs. Although none of the body was visible it was easy to detect the strong, lean muscles hidden underneath the well-fitting clothing. Huge, dove-gray wings protruded from its shoulders, sweeping down in graceful waves of soft feathers. Unlike Draco's the person's tunic had a hood which it had pulled up and a mask made sure that none of its features were visible. It was a plain, white, full face mask that was set in a permanent expression of bored indifference, the eye holes filled in with dark lenses.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, it's nice to meet you, face to face."

Draco blinked in surprise but gave a small smile. "Gabriel?"

"The one and only." Gabriel stretched languidly before returning to its former position. "Stop gawking and come and talk to me. I fear my bleeper's going to go off any second and I sense there's a lot you want to ask me?"

Gabriel sunk elegantly to the floor, one leg outstretched, toes pointed in a way only natural to a dancer and the other leg propped up so that the Angel could lean on to make room for its huge wings.

"Bleeper?" Draco asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

It held up one end of the rope around its torso and a ring of gold could be seen near where the rope was knotted on its waist. "The bane of my existence. Whenever there's a soul that's going to the wrong place, much like yours was, dear Draco, this delightful thing will bleep at me."

Harry and Draco joined Gabriel on the floor, silently thanking whichever house elf had cleaned it.

"We were wondering; do you know why I could understand Fawkes, the phoenix?"

"Certain animals are linked, Mr. Malfoy." Gabriel murmured with a shrug. "Like Mr. Potter and snakes. Or dead creatures, as another example. You died and phoenixes die all the time, semi-permanently at least…you follow? All animals of death have a certain understanding between them. Your bird, the owl, haven't you realised that it hates everyone that isn't you and vice versa? It died after it hatched but the shopkeeper was able to resuscitate it. It is now a creature of death. Sometimes, like with the phoenix and thestrals and so on, you can communicate with these creatures and other times, like your owl, it's simply being on the same wavelength."

Draco turned accusing eyes on Harry. "So you don't like my owl?"

Harry winced and shook his head, holding up his hands in mock-surrender but also showing off the peck marks from when Flaumig had last attacked him. Draco looked crestfallen, his bottom lip sticking out in a sad pout and Harry instantly felt bad.

Gabriel clapped its hands together in delight at the small exchange, the action looking strange due to the lack of emotion displayed on the masked face. "As much as I'd love to sit and chat to you all day about your strange abilities and how dear Draco here neglects his," Draco furrowed his brow in confusion and the dark Angel rolled his eyes. "I told you all that time ago that you'd be a lot stronger physically, mentally and magically but still you're acting all…human. Apart from when you're pissed. But anyway, time is running short and I know that I'll get called away any moment now. So, any other questions?"

For the first time since Gabriel's arrival, Harry spoke up. "We've asked our headmaster but he either doesn't know or doesn't want us to know. So we were wondering if you knew anything about the night that my parents died?"

"I can't say."

"You can't or you won't?"

"I," It drew its other leg up, crossing its arms around its knees in an almost defensive manner. "I won't."

Harry's face fell and he let Draco put an arm around him, grateful for the warmth of his Angel as he leaned into the embrace. "Do you know what happened, though? I only want to know why I lived and they…they didn't. Why was I saved, what was the point?"

"You were needed for the future, you couldn't die, it wasn't your time." Gabriel said, its voice rising slightly.

"But why? What's so important that they had to-"

"We couldn't let you die-"

"Sacrifice themselves and-"

"We had no choice-"

"Die in my place?"

"You were on the list!" Gabriel spat out. It drew in a shuddering gasp, one gloved hand flying to its masked mouth. "I'm so sorry."

Draco drew his Tutela closer, pulling the smaller boy onto his lap as he murmured quietly. "What list?"

"Please, forgive me. I shouldn't have said anything, but you have a right to know." It lifted a hand as if to run its fingers through its hair but stopped, remembering its hood. The slip was so human that it looked almost unreal coming from this being of secrecy. Lifting its head, Gabriel turned to face Harry.

"It wasn't my idea; there was nothing I could do. You see, ten years ago, you were top of the list. You had been from the day you were born. You were the priority, the next one in line to get a guardian. But you see; Fallen are very rare. The thought patterns and circumstances of the deceased have to be exactly right and then it's up to the Court, a high ranking group of thirteen Angels. Every single member of the Court has to agree to the deceased receiving the choice otherwise there is no chance of them getting it. So a compromise was made." Gabriel's gaze had moved to the floor but now he looked up again, making sure the Tutela understood.

"It was well known that your parents would die on the night they did." The dark Angel continued. "It had been prophesized several times by many great seers. It was inevitable. The plan was if a Fallen wasn't…created for want of a better word before then, your mother would come back as your guardian. On that unfortunate night, your father died a very brave and noble death and you should be proud of him. And that left Lilly Potter and her young son. Up to that point we had presumed that the one that had forced his way into your home, the one you call Voldemort, had come to kill her. It would then be a simple case of sending her back as your guardian and then leaving you both to it to live your lives."

Harry was cradled against Draco's chest, focused entirely on Gabriel's words. He didn't dare interrupt as it finished its explanation.

"But that was when it all fell apart. Voldemort had come to kill you, not dear Lilly. We hadn't even taken into account that that would happen. Your mother had a true, pure, beautiful heart and she sacrificed herself for her son. She passed away, just as it was said she would but now she could never return to Earth. A sacrifice cannot return. A sort of barrier was placed over the house so that nothing could get in or out while we sorted out our mess. It was decided that we would place you in our care until the day that a true Fallen was created. So that was you sorted. Now for the complicated bit. Part of the curse that killed your mother rebounded and killed Voldemort. His soul left his body but couldn't leave entirely because of the barrier on the house. His soul began to tear itself apart, fragment if you want. The different fragments latched onto different objects, the largest onto his body, I think one went into a book…I can't remember what else. When the barrier was removed moments later, he was still alive and still had his body. But he was weak, so weak he couldn't move. His followers came for him, took him away and for the last ten years he's been recovering. But he will never be at his strongest; his soul is still too torn apart."

Draco held Harry tight against him, the anger almost tangible as it rolled of off his Tutela. He brought a hand up to cradle Harry's cheek, the smaller boy's head tucked into the crook of his neck.

"You-you…let him live…" Harry whispered almost inaudibly.

Gabriel reached out a hand, almost as if going to comfort him but stopped itself, its hand dropping almost lifelessly back into its lap. "I didn't have a choice. There was nothing I could do. I-" It broke off, its hands flying to its torso where a loud bleeping was starting to go off. With practised hands it unclipped the gold ring from the rope and slid it under its hood, presumably as an ear piece. "Give me five minutes." It turned back to Harry, its head tilted slightly. "Dear Harry, I tried to stop them but the rest of the Court, they stopped me from intervening."

"What did you mean, place me in your care until the day a true Fallen was created?" Harry asked, wanting to leave the previous subject behind.

"I didn't mean care in the conventional form of the word. I meant we kept your heart beating, your organs working and the majority of your bones from breaking. I don't think you're quite aware, Mr. Potter, just how many times we kept you alive. You should have died several times over the years."

Harry stiffened against his Angel's chest. "Don't expect me to be grateful."

"How could I expect that of you? I saw what you've been through." Gabriel glanced at Draco. "What you've both been through. If I could have intervened I would have but I couldn't so please, let's leave the past in the past." For the first time its eyes landed on both Draco and Harry, its shielded gaze roaming over the pair, taking in the way Harry fit just so into the caring comfort of his Angel's embrace, the way the blonde's eyes shone with…something whenever they flickered down to check on his Tutela. One dark and one fare. One tall and proud with a seemingly permanent smirk gracing his almost but not quite femininely pretty features and the other petite and boyishly handsome with a surprisingly modest heart, unexpected considering his famous status. Complete opposites. And yet both were slim, strong and powerful, in their minds as well as their physiques. Both had pasts they'd rather forget and had found their homes at this castle. It took a special something, or someone, to coax a smile out of either of them but it was always worth the effort to see their faces light up. An old saying about two sides of a coin crept its say into Gabriel's thoughts. Shaking its head it once again slid a hand underneath its hood, fiddling with the makeshift ear piece. "I'm on my way."

The dark Angel stood gracefully, letting out a deep sigh. "I think there have been enough revelations for one day. I have to go. You know how to get hold of me if you need me."

The two wizards, still sitting, were taken by surprise as Gabriel approached first Draco and then Harry, kissing each once on the forehead with cold, hard, unnatural lips. It turned its back on them, murmuring a quite "I have been watching over you" before vanishing. A single long, black satin glove fell to the ground, inches from Draco's right hand.

…

Hermione joined Neville, the twins, Harry and Draco at the Gryffindor table, her concern for the look on her friend's face outweighing her concern about invading Gryffindor territory. Ignoring the glares from the people outside of her group she fixed Harry with a knowing stare.

"You've discovered something."

"Am I really that easy to read?" Harry asked nobody in particular as he offered her a small piece of card.

She took it from where it was held between two of his fingers and frowned. "It's a chocolate frog card." Her friend twirled a finger lazily in the air as he continued to eat his lunch. The witch got the hint and flipped the card, her quick eyes taking in the information.

_Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts.  
>Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern<br>times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for  
>his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945,<br>for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's  
>blood and his work on alchemy with his partner,<br>Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys  
>chamber music and tenpin bowling.<em>

"Congratulations, you've found Flamel. Leave the rest to me." Hermione said as she stood and ran from the Great Hall, her bushy hair flying out behind her in her haste to get to the library.

…

The Gryffindor first years were on the way to their first potions lesson of the term. Draco was leading the way, walking faster than normal, eager to see his godfather for the first time since they'd broken up for the holidays. Severus Snape had been away over Christmas, his excuse being important jobs for a certain old coot.

Professor Snape welcomed them to the classroom with a cold sneer, only Harry and Draco receiving the barest hints of a smile.

The class started like any other, Snape giving a short lecture in a bored, drawling tone, the occasional sharp-tongued comment weaving fluently into his words and then setting the class a potion to brew.

Draco claimed Harry as his potions partner for that lesson and quickly began firing off orders for this and that to be fetched, chopped, sliced or crushed. Harry complied without complaint, (grateful for have someone who knew what they were doing to make up for his rather apparent lack of skill) but kept an eye trained on his friend. Draco was flitting around the room, appearing a hundred percent focused on making the concoction in their cauldron but every now and then his gaze would scan the class before dropping back to the gently simmering Boil-Cure potion.

"What've you seen?" The brunette murmured, flourishing a dried nettle leaf and dropping it into the cauldron, dramatically wincing. When the expected explosion didn't happen he let out a relieved sigh and turned back to his Angel with a single questioning eyebrow raised.

The blonde flicked a hand in a vague gesture but knew Harry wouldn't be satisfied until he knew what was on his mind. "See that Slytherin, the tall dark one? When we came to England I was friends with him, with most of the Slytherins here actually. Our parents liked us all to stick together."

"Yeah, I recognise him from the sorting. Blaise Zabini. What's your point?"

"He's acting strange." Draco explained with a shrug. "He looks tired, unhealthily so. His vanity is almost famous and yet his hair is completely un-gelled and his uniform's all askew. Something's definitely wrong, he keeps fussing with his robe sleeve, see? He's worried or stressed or…I don't know."

Harry stared at him dumbstruck. "Well done detective Malfoy. Maybe Sev knows something? He's still in contact with…" He broke off, knowing that Draco would pick up on his hint towards the Death Eaters.

Shrugging again, Draco raised a hand, gaining Snape's attention.

"Qe'est-ce qui se passe avec Blaise?"

The professor glanced around the room, making sure none of the other students were paying attention to them "Sa soeur a juré allégeance au Seigneur des Ténèbres, mais lui refuse et craint maintenant pour sa vie." Snape watched as his godson's eyes narrowed. "You and Harry meet me after dinner, my office."

Draco nodded and turned his attention to pouring a ladle of his and Harry's potion into a vial. The brunette by his side crossed his arms, fixing him with an indescribable look that Draco had come to know as his tell-me-what-the-hell's-going-on face.

"I told you, the Malfoy's lived in France until three years ago." The Fallen said, answering Harry's silent questions. "Uncle Sev used to come visit us all the time and it was easier for him to cast permanent French to English and vice versa translation spell on himself than several temporary ones a day. And here, you don't think my parents taught me English, do you? As you can probably guess, Sev doesn't possess the patience of a saint and therefore relied heavily on the spell to make me learn even the basics of the language."

"You were that bad a student?"

"I was an excellent student!" Draco defended a little too loudly.

Harry waited while the few heads that had swivelled in their direction turned back. "Why didn't you just cast that spell on yourself instead of learning a new language…two new languages? I remember you said you also speak German."

"The same reason most wizards don't use them and Snape only has the spell for one language and not several. It's in constant use so is constantly requiring the person's magic to work. If you're not careful it can drain your magic so only powerful wizards use them and even then it's done reluctantly."

"Huh, guess you do learn something new every day. Not quite what I wanted to know, though. Did you find out what was wrong with Zabini?"

"His sister's sworn allegiance to the Dark Lord but he refused to and is now scared for his life."

The Tutela scrunched his nose up, sighing. "Nothing's ever simple round here."

…

Professor Severus Snape sat behind his desk, back to a magnificent fireplace and facing his two favourite students.

"The Zabinis…they are well known for their stubborn neutrality in the fight against dark and light. But Blaise's older sister, who left Hogwarts a couple of years ago, has joined Voldemort and her and therefore Blaise's immediate family are supporting her. Blaise is refusing, wanting to stay neutral. He's been….rejected from the family for defying them."

Draco sniffed elegantly but showed no other sign of emotion. "How much does Dumbledore know about what's going on? Surely he's working to get the elder Zabinis put into Azkaban for their new loyalties?"

Snape shook his head with a sigh. "He knows enough to have offered the boy protection while at school but can't do anything else. So during school time he will be fine but during the holidays…I'm sure he will find somewhere else to stay and at a last resort I will stay with him at Hogwarts over the summer and at Christmas."

"We'll keep an eye on him."Harry murmured quietly, almost as if to himself. "Make sure he isn't getting any grief off other Slytherins and such. We've noticed some of them acting strange around him and I doubt we can trust them to keep their distances.""

"Alright, good." Severus stood, turning towards the shelves behind his desk. Long, nimble fingers brushed along various vials and bottles, landing on two paper-wrapped packages. "Sorry I didn't see you both over Christmas, the Headmaster sent me off on a wild goose chase across America. Ended up in a Native Indian reservation." Carefully, he opened the packages and handed an object to both Harry and Draco. "Happy Christmas."

Harry smiled, holding the long wooden object up for closer inspection. It was obvious to even his untrained eye that it was some sort of flute. The cedar instrument was painstakingly hand-crafted and bands of green paint wove around the smooth wood. A small horse stood close to the top, completing the flute. Draco's gift was an exact replica of Harry's except it was paint free and instead decorated with thin strips of leather.

"Thanks, Snape."

"Thank you uncle Sev." Draco said with a smile, bringing the instrument to his lips and giving it an experimental blow, his fingers dancing over the holes with practiced grace and a delicate tune filled the room. His smile grew as he tucked the flute away into an inside pocket of his robe. "There's a patch of mallowsweet in the fourth greenhouse with your name on it, from me and Haz."

The professor nodded in thanks, and before a smile could crack his famously cold mask, he motioning to his office door with a curt gesture. "Now off you go, both of you, and stay out of trouble."

...

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_

…


	14. Revision and stones

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N- Gaahhhh! I know. I'm horrible, unreliable, blah blah. But look, the next chapter's finally up so please don't hate me. And, for anyone that reads my little rants, I have decent excuses.  
>My open house (basically the house I live in is open to anyone and everyone for as long as they need a home, as long as they can afford their chip of the rent) got relocated, so we had to pack up and move to the other side of town. That out the way, our internet didn't get set up for a few weeks and even now as I'm writing this to you I'm praying it won't cut itself off :(<br>And I now speak to you from the freezing coldness that is the bed-ervatory. That's right, due to panic buying when it came to getting a new house, my bedroom is the conservatory. Therefore, it reaches greenhouse temperatures during the day and Arctic temperatures at night. All of my time has been spent doing up the room, making it livable, adding a pot plant, blah blah, you get the idea.  
>Buuuutttt...It's the summer holidays for England in one week's time! That means 6 weeks of freedom and six weeks to chug out chapter after chapter for all you gorgeous readers. All of you that have stuck with this story, by the way, all recieve my greatest appreciation and thanks, to be honest, if something I was reading took this long to be updated, I'd probably abandon it.<br>I also want to mention quickly, THIS STORY IS STILL UNBETA-ED! most of my writing time is spent editing and trawling through word for word to erase mistakes. Yet I still miss most of them. If anyone is willing to volunteer, please either leave a comment or PM me.  
><strong>_

_**Just out of curiosity, does anyone else have a bed-ervatory? In the whole world? Europe? Britain? England? East Anglia? I feel all unique at the moment but it would be so cool if there were others out there sharing the individualness.  
><strong>_

_**So yeah...sorry for the rambles...on with the chapter...  
><strong>_

...

A newspaper seemed to fall from the ceiling-less roof of the Great Hall, straight onto the outstretched arm of Harry Potter. A sharp intake of breath next to his ear had him swivelling round to face a wide-eyed Draco Malfoy. Harry looked up to the source of where the paper must have fallen from in confusion and came face to face with Professor Snape. Severus nodded once to the table where the paper was displaying its front page before briskly walking away from the Gryffindor table, a grave expression carved onto his features.

Harry turned back around, eyes dropping to the page in front of him, taking in the huge headline screaming out above a picture of a young girl with an unfortunately pug-like face and dark hair. She seemed to be coming out of an official looking building, smiling and waving as journalists flocked around her.

'_PARKINSON HEIR RELEASED!'_

His own gasp wasn't dissimilar to Draco's. He spread the article out across the Gryffindor table, all breakfasts forgotten as all the Housemates crammed together, craning their necks to read. Hermione stood from her seat with the Ravenclaws and hurried over, a few of her House trailing after her along with some curious Hufflepuffs. She stood directly behind Harry, reading over his shoulder and scanning the words, quoting aloud anything of importance for everyone to hear.

"Pansy Parkinson, released by the Wizengamot. No further allegations…father claims it was all an accident…Imperio-ed…Wait what! That can't be right. Says she was under the Imperious curse and wasn't aware of her actions. Due to return to Hogwarts any day now. Impossible!"

Harry felt the blonde beside him stiffen and automatically grabbed for his hand, surprised to discover the other boy was trembling. One glance told him that Draco was murderously angry, a blood chilling glint of hatred in his dark eyes. That one glance told him that if he didn't get Draco out of the room right there and then, Hogwarts would have to deal with a very pissed Angel.

Tugging on the other's pale hand, Harry managed to get Draco to stand. Looping one arm around the taller boy's slender waist and keeping one hand twined with Draco's he all but frog-marched him from the Hall. A concerned potions master also rose from his seat, following after his students silently.

As soon as they'd passed the oak doors Draco let his anger get the better of him. Dove gray ripped from his shoulders, flaring out as his lips pulled back in an almost animalistic snarl. Snape stood at the doors which he had quickly shut, torn between wanting to rush to his godson and making sure no one witnessed his Angel transformation.

Harry had no such qualms. He reacted on pure Gryffindor impulse and launched forward, throwing himself at Draco. The blonde tensed for a split second before his arms flew up to wrap his Tutela in an embrace.

"I hate her."

"I know."

"I don't want her to come back here. I don't want her anywhere near you."

With a small, sad smile, Harry met his gaze, his reply dying on his tongue as Snape spoke up.

"Draco, calm down, listen to yourself. We knew she'd be released soon, she's underage. Although we didn't think it would be quite so soon, it was inevitable. Better for her to be here where we can keep an eye on her than hiding out someplace with the Death Eaters. And by 'we' I mean me, Dumbledore and the rest of the faculty, not you, Harry and you're friends."

Draco narrowed his eyes, forced to look up to meet his godfather eyes as his head was still propped on his Tutela's shoulder. "Is this one of those moments where I have no choice but to give in and take your word for it?"

"It's always one of those moments. In time you will come to learn I am always right."

Harry shivered slightly as his Angel's wings flapped once and wrapped around him, the downy soft feathers caressing his skin for the barest of touches before flaring again. Within seconds they were retracted and Draco was back to his human form. The brunette shrugged Draco's head off his shoulder and turned so he could also face Snape. The arms encircling him never once loosened and he smiled as he leaned back against the taller boy behind him. He could almost hear the smirk in Draco's voice as he answered his godfather.

"Even the time when-"

"I'd watch my next words very carefully if I were you, Draco. I have a feeling what you were about to say wouldn't have helped your House any in the next game."

Harry's smile grew, "It's true then? You're refereeing the next Quidditch match?"

"After what happened last time, do you think I'd let anyone else do it?" Snape said with a slight shrug, keeping his face blank.

"Thanks Uncle Sev." Draco nodded once, a smile beginning to creep across his face before falling completely. "It's the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, right?"

"Correct."

"And if Gryffindor win we have a chance of beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years, right?"

"The word chance would indicate that you might succeed, which you will never. But yes, you're correct."

The grin on Harry's face was quickly replaced with a frown as the blonde asked his final question. "There's not a chance on this Earth you're going to be fair, right?"

A half smile threatened to stretch across the potion master's lips and he turned, heading back into the Great Hall.

"Correct."

…

"Don't play."

"Say you're ill."

"Pretend to break your leg."

"_Really_ break your leg."

"What's going on?"Harry asked, coming down the stairs from the boy's dormitories and over hearing the last part of the conversation being held. Most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were huddled together and surrounded by the rest of the House. Harry and Draco (after the blonde had emerged onto the stairs) were hauled into the middle of the crowd.

Oliver Wood quickly took control of the conversation, his loud voice ringing around the room. "Haven't you two heard? You'll never guess who's volunteered to referee the game."

"Snape? Yeah we know."

Wood stared at Harry like he'd grown a second head. "You're kidding me? How come you're not outraged? There's no chance we're going to beat Slytherin now."

Draco stepped in, defending his godfather. "Sure we do, we've just got to play a clean game and not give him any excuses to pick on us."

The Team Captain stared at him doubtfully. "You may be his favourite student but I've been going to this school longer than you have and I know what he's like better than you do." He ignored Draco's delicate snort and Harry's disbelieving eye roll. "I had such high hopes for this year too. We finally have a team where every single member is fantastic and we have a decent Seeker for the first time in ages."

Harry smiled at the compliment, lowering his head slightly. "We'll do well. Like you said; we have a great team and Snape will play fair. If he doesn't, I'm sure McGonagall would have something to say about it."

…

"I knew it! I _knew_ it!" Hermione shrieked as she ran across the Ravenclaw common room, an enormous old book in her arms.

She, the twins, Harry, Draco and Neville had been in the library, desperately searching through endless books and tomes for the seemingly non-existent Nicolas Flamel when the bushy haired witch had had a brainwave and rushed them all off to her common room.

"Nicolas Flamel is the _only known maker of the Philosopher's stone_!"

Four of the boys furrowed their brows, asking in unison, "The what?"

Draco shook his head, realisation dawning on his face. "You know; gold, immortality…just read the bloody book."

Hermione pushed the book across the table they were gathered around so her confused friends could see the chapter she was pointing at.

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with  
>making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary<br>substance with astonishing powers. The Stone  
>will transform any metal into pure gold. It also<br>produces the Elixir of Life, which will make  
>the drinker immortal.<br>There have been many reports of the Philosopher's  
>Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently<br>in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted  
>alchemist and opera-lover. Mr. Flamel, who<br>celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday  
>last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife,<br>Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"See?" Hermione inquired as the boys finished reading. "Fluffy must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

Shaking his head again, Draco resettled himself on the navy blue couch he was sharing with Harry. "They trusted Hagrid with something that precious?" He arched his brow once at the boy beside him before turning back to the group. "But who would want to steal it?"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying? _Anyone_ would want it."

Draco sniffed but nodded in agreement, a vacant look in his eyes. He'd heard something about the Philosopher's Stone before, something about it being one of magic's great mysteries. Only a select few actually knew where they came from. He shrugged, dismissing it as irrelevant and returned to the conversation.

…

Students clad in bright crimson and gold watched grim-faced as the Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch. They all shared the same fear the Harry would lose control of his broom again. Only Harry and Draco were confident about the match, safe in the knowledge their potions professor would be watching over them.

Down in the stands, Hermione walked with Neville towards an empty space on the wooden benches, cheering loudly and waving a handmade banner. As her own team weren't playing Hermione thought it perfectly acceptable for her to be seen supporting the Gryffindors.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, Longbottom." A soft voice mumbled as a tall, dark boy brushed past Neville a little too roughly, presumably in a hurry to join his Housemates.

"That's okay; I wasn't looking where I was going either." Neville looked up to smile at the stranger but recognition hit him as his eyes landed on the Slytherin. "Zabini?"

Blaise Zabini nodded once before continuing in his previous direction. He stopped in his tracks as Ron Weasley blocked his way, arms full of the usual junk food sold at Quidditch games. The redhead shuffled barely half a step to the side and Blaise rolled his eyes, using one arm to shove him the rest of the way out of his path.

Ron stared at him, nose wrinkled unattractively. "Did you see that? Bloody snakes." He took a seat beside Neville who subtly inched further away from him. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want to bet? What about you, Longbottom?"

"You're an idiot." Hermione's eyes swivelled to the source of the quite comment and realized Zabini had stopped once more.

"What?" Ron asked loudly, spraying cake crumbs in the process.

The tall boy delicately picked at his robes, looking for any molecule of food that had dared to land on him. Satisfied he was cake-free he spoke again in that soft voice of his.

"You're an idiot. For the first time in several years Gryffindor stands a chance and it's mostly due to that new Seeker of yours. You should support your team, no matter how much you happen to hate the ones on it."

Hermione blinked in surprise that a Slytherin would speak well of Harry but didn't say anything, instead just nodding her agreement to his words. From within the mass of green and silver in the other stand someone shouted Zabini's name and within seconds the boy had disappeared. Strange kid, Hermione thought to herself.

…

Harry circled the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch. He rolled his eyes as Fred Weasley hit a bludger towards Snape and the potions master happily awarded Hufflepuff a penalty for it. Despite his want to find the Snitch he kept one eye on Draco, internally grinning as the older boy flew around like an elegant maniac, completely in his element as he hunted down anything that dared come too close to one of his team mates. He could feel the other boy's heart thumping furiously beside his own quietly calm one and a small voice in the back of his mind told him that he should find that a little freaky but he ignored it completely.

Suddenly a golden glint caught his eye and without hesitation he dived, knowing the other Seeker was miles behind. If only Severus would move…no, he'd make it. He shot down past the professor, a scarlet bullet aimed at a tiny target. He swept underneath Snape and looped back up behind him, arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

A loud whistle and a whoop later and panic struck him as he started freefalling to the ground. He needn't be worried though as after a split second he realised he was spiralling not falling, held securely in his Angel's arms from where the blonde had tackled him off his broom and onto his own Comet. The Nimbus seemed to be more prepared for the surprise loss of its rider and sank it to the ground, hovering patiently for its owner to retrieve. The friends landed softly and Draco hoisted the smaller boy up onto his shoulders, walking them both over to where the Gryffindors were pooling out onto the pitch. Harry kept one arm in the air, displaying the Snitch for all to see but kept one hand twined with Draco's as they were surrounded by a crowd of red and gold, shouts of broken records filling the air.

Snape landed on the other side of the pitch, spitting bitterly on the ground before briskly walking off the pitch, making sure to catch his second favourite student's eye as he passed, nodding slightly in respect of his achievement.

…

Harry still had a grin plastered to his face as he walked with the Gryffindor Quidditch team towards the storage shed to put their brooms away. A hooded figure could be seen in the distance, moving towards the Forbidden Forest with a fast, prowling walk. He tapped Draco on the shoulder and nodded in the direction he was looking just as the person broke into a run and disappeared amongst the trees.

"I swear that's Sev?" Draco questioned, squinting. Harry lifted his broom and raised an eyebrow at him and the blonde sighed but nodded his agreement. "Catch up with you guys in a minute." He called to the team before mounting and flying alongside Harry towards the Forest, not waiting for a reply.

The trees were so thick they couldn't see where Snape had gone but Draco set off in a direction confidently, following some unknown path. A moment later and Harry could also make out the sound of muffled voices and silently they glided towards the source, landing noiselessly in a towering beech tree. Directly below, Snape stood with Professor Quirrell, seemingly in the middle of a quiet confrontation.

"…d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"

Harry clasped Draco's hand and they helped each other climb along the branch until they had a good view of the whole shadowed clearing.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," Severus said in a voice as cold as ice. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone after all."

Draco rolled his eyes towards Harry and the brunette understood the message clearly. Apparently when it came to things students weren't supposed to know they were always the exceptions.

Quirrell began to say something but Snape interrupted. "Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

The Tutela arched his brows; clearly they also knew things that even the professors weren't supposed to.

"B-b-but Severus, I-"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," Snape said, taking a step towards him.

"I-I don-t know what you-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

An owl hooted loudly and Draco grabbed Harry as the smaller boy nearly fell from the tree in shock. They steadied themselves just in time to catch the end of Snape's next words.

"-your little bit of hocus pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't-"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie." He through his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing.

Draco motioned to Harry, keeping his expression carefully blank and together they jumped from the branch, simultaneously bringing their brooms beneath them and soaring silently back towards the castle. Behind them Quirrell was standing quite still as though he was petrified, large eyes gaping at the space from where the other professor had disappeared among the trees.

…

The two boys arrived back at the Gryffindor common room to a victory party in full swing. Harry was instantly sucked in, pushed and shoved into people wanting congratulate him. Draco was more elegant, effortlessly circulating the room, grabbing hold of the collar of certain people every now and then and dragging them in to whisper in their ear for a second before moving on. On his way back to the door he slung an arm round Harry, fluidly bringing him to the portrait in one movement.

Harry stared at his Angel in bemusement. How did Draco do stuff like that? He thought he'd be stuck in there until every last person had either patted him on the back or spoken to him (a thought he had been dreading), yet Draco had been round the whole room, played his role, performed his task and had got them both out of there in a few minutes.

The two headed down the corridor towards an empty classroom, Harry now with his arm around Draco too. Behind them their closest friends began to trickle from the party, curiosity at Draco's messages spurring them to follow the blonde.

…

"So…yeah." Harry finished breathlessly, having just spurted out the story of what had happened at the Forest.

"We were right; it is the Philosopher's Stone they're keeping here!" Hermione whispered excitedly.

The twins and Neville nodded their agreement and Harry continued.

"So that means either Snape or Quirrell wants to get to the Stone."

Draco slowly raised a single eyebrow, cocking his head slightly. Harry winced, instantly recognising Draco's 'you're kidding me, right' expression.

"Hey, I'm not accusing any of them of anything." Harry defended quickly. "Chances are they're both just making sure it's safe and secure. We don't know anything for certain."

Neville blushed, even after all this time he was still nervous about voicing his opinion in front of others. "Well, we do know some things."

"Yeah, Nev's right." The twins added, making the nervous first year blush embarrassedly. "We know that Quirrell knows how to get past Fluffy. And when Snape said about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus'…I reckon that that means the professors have other things guarding the Stone apart from the dog."

Hermione frowned. "I think we should just stay out of it. The professors know what they're doing. Harry and Draco both trust Snape and I trust their judgement and I don't think Quirrell is capable of hurting a fly, let alone a giant three-headed dog. Harry's right; they're probably just worried about security and only met at a place like the Forbidden Forest because they thought they wouldn't be overheard." She turned accusing eyes on Harry and Draco and was inwardly proud of herself as they ducked their heads guiltily.

…

Harry slumped forward dejectedly, pushing away the transfiguration essay he'd spent the last hour on and tugging Draco's arm across the table towards himself. He gently prodded until the elbow was crooked at the perfect angle before resting his head upon his makeshift pillow, tired eyes falling shut behind black rimmed glasses.

Draco smiled warmly, capturing a raven coloured lock of hair between his free fingers and playing with it, eager for a distraction after a long of stretch in the library revising under Hermione's expectant gaze. The witch had presented them all with study timetables a few weeks ago that were designed to help them get through their end of year exams. Since then she had been doing everything in her power to make sure they were following them.

Hermione fixed them both with a disapproving look from behind her large stack of books and parchment as the boys showed no sign of continuing their homework. She rolled her eyes when she went ignored and went to continue her work when a loud crashing caught her attention.

"What on Earth…?"

Draco twisted round, a difficult manoeuvre considering one arm was trapped and one hand was still in the hair of the boy next to him. "What's Hagrid doing in the library?"

They didn't have to wait long for an answer as the half giant shuffled up to the table the twins, Harry, Draco, Neville and Hermione were sharing. The large man stood out like a sore thumb amongst the quietly working students and there was a guilty look in his eyes as his hands fumbled behind his moleskin coat covered back with something he was hiding.

"'arry, you still interested in magical creatures?"

Harry blinked his eyes open, nodding slowly from his awkward position. He wanted to gain Hagrid's trust and in order to do that he had to keep up his story. He kept his face blank to hide his surprise at Hagrid having remembered his 'interest' after not having spoken the Gamekeeper since before the Christmas holidays.

"Come an' see me later, I got somethin' you might wanna see."

Holding back a groan he plastered a smile to his face. "I'd love to. Draco can come too, right? He's also fascinated by animals." He felt Draco give a sharp tug on his hair and smiled sadistically.

Hagrid hesitated for a moment but gave a shrug. "Sure, I know you two're good friends an' it was alrigh' with you both down before…can't remember much o' wha' 'appened though…"

Draco grinned internally, glad the Gamekeeper hadn't figured out his wine trick.

Shrugging again, Hagrid shuffled off, turning his back on the group of friends at the table, at the perfect angle for the twins to see what was clasped behind his back.

Harry laughed as soon as the half giant was out of ear shot, rolling his head to peek up at Draco through his lashes. "If I have to go suffer, you do too."

The Angel's biting remark was cut off by Fred Weasley.

"Guys, you do realise he had a stack of books on dragon keeping? Think there may be a lot of suffering to do."

Harry buried his head into Draco's arm, hiding from the 'what the Hell have you got me into' glare his Angel was pinning him with.

…

"Improvisation is key, Haz."

"But why do you even want to know?"

Draco shrugged with a small smile that let his Tutela know he had secret motives behind his curiosity. "Chances to get information like that come about rarely. One day you could be called upon to guard a rare stone from the forces of evil and you'd be completely stuck on how to go about the task, wouldn't you? Apart from the three-headed, mutant guard dog solution, obviously."

Harry shook his head in defeat. "Obviously."

"Draco's absolutely right, Harry." Hermione piped up and Harry rolled his eyes. Not only had Hermione decided to tag along to try and get unnecessary information out of Hagrid but now she and Draco were ganging up on him too.

The door the three were waiting in front of opened suddenly and Hagrid ushered them into the stifling heat of his home.

"Thank you for inviting us, Sir." Draco smiled politely, sitting delicately on the chair he and Harry had shared last time they were in the hut. "I hope you don't mind but Hermione was eager to visit too, your words had her very intrigued."

Hermione smiled warmly at the Gamekeeper and perched on the arm rest, Harry coming to stand beside her.

"There was also a question that's been in my mind for a while, and I know only someone of your expertise would be able to answer it." The bushy haired witch said sweetly.

Hagrid stood a little taller. "I'd be 'appy to 'elp you, Miss Granger."

"Please, call me Hermione. I was wondering; if you had something _really_ precious, how would you keep it safe? A hellhound crossed my mind; they're just so fantastic at guarding, aren't they?" Hagrid nodded, smiling softly as his mind went off to a distant memory. "But you also know quite a lot of people, don't you, Hagrid? Who would you trust to guard this precious object?"

"Hy-hypo…hypathet-"

"Hypothetically speaking? Of course."

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt to tell yeh…let's see…'arry and Malfoy 'ere already know abou' Fluffy, s'pose tha' ain't much of a secret amongst you lot anymore. If someone was guardin' somethin' real valuable he'd borrow Fluffy from me…then get some o' the teachers ter do some enchantments…Professor Sprout – Professor Flitwick – Professor McGonagall," He began ticking them off on his fingers. "Professor Quirrell – and Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course." He didn't notice his slip, changing from what someone would do to what someone did. "Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Thank you Hagrid, that's very helpful, you're very knowledgeable, aren't you?" Hagrid's chest swelled with pride and Harry and Draco beamed at the sweet talking witch. So the twins were right, there were other things guarding the Stone. "And how is Fluffy doing? I hear they can be a bit of a handful, but I'm certain someone as good with animals as you has no problems?"

"Ah, a handful he is, but he's very well, got 'himself a lil job and everythin'."

Harry held back a laugh at the understatement, not wanting to disrupt Hermione as she worked her magic.

"And you're the only one that knows how to get past him? That's why they were my first consideration of guards as only a select few know how to get around them."

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore." Hagrid stated proudly.

"Brilliant."

Draco nudged Harry, murmuring into his ear "And you called me a manipulative bastard?" Before speaking aloud, satisfied that Hermione had found out everything. "So what did you want to show us, Sir?"

Hagrid's eyes flicked guiltily to the fireplace, which was still keeping the room at an almost unbearable temperature. The three students sighed, gazes all landing on the huge, black egg in the very heart of the flames.

…

"Weasley."

Ron looked up from his heap of food, glaring up at Draco with a mouth full to the point of overflowing.

Draco sniffed delicately, showing his distaste. "Your brother is a dragon keeper in Romania, correct?"

Ron nodded slowly, watching the blonde with untrusting eyes.

"And Hagrid is your friend?"

Ron scrunched up his nose, giving a barely there shrug.

"For Hagrid's sake, please ask your brother to get in contact with him. Tell him Norbert's waiting."

…

An owl Harry didn't recognise landed in front of him at breakfast three days after his visit to Hagrid's hut. He took the note, skimming over the words written in handwriting that he'd never seen before yet was strangely familiar. The large, scrawling signature at the bottom cleared up his confusion.

He passed Charlie Weasley's note to Draco and the Angel smiled. At midnight Norbert the illegal baby dragon would be gone and Hagrid wouldn't have any reason to drag them down to visit him anymore.

…

Harry took Draco's hand and waved out of the window of the astronomy tower. Charlie had sent four of his friends to Hogwarts and they'd just left, Norwegian Ridgeback in tow.

They turned, heading down the steep steps and emerged out into the night. Out of the darkness a face loomed, making the boys fall back in shock.

"Well, well, well," Filch whispered. "We _are_ in trouble."

Ron. He was the only one who knew where they would be that night. The bastard had ratted them out. As Filch lead them down to McGonagall's office, Draco's hatred of the youngest Weasley son turned up a notch. The scowl on Harry's face confirmed that the red head would have two very angry wizards to deal with.

...

_**TBC  
>Onyx Claws~#<strong>_

…


	15. Detention and forests

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N- Yes, I am back, and I have plenty of little rambles for you, as well as some good news!  
>First of all, I know I haven't updated in ages, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Since I moved house (couple months ago now, I think), our internet's been playing up, cutting out every two seconds and refusing to load. The engineer guy said something about some number having to be about 12 and ours is always at about 1.3. I have no idea what that means except that I haven't been able to update D: So I am currently scrawling out this message to you, the box thingy that provides the internet in some magical way in my line of sight, and praying it will continue to live.<br>Second, I had a few relapses into a couple 'disorders' (as the professionals call them) and as fun as they are, they don't allow for much writing to occur. Well, much of anything, to be honest.  
>For anyone interested, I've started a new fic called Perfection. In it I will be delving into all sorts of dark, twisted things, including a few of my disorders, so please, go check it out (although I only have one chapter up so far and isn't much of anything yet).<br>**_

_**Now, for some good news. I have found someone either crazy or down right intelligent enough to take on my appalling spelling and grammar (I'm going for the second of those two options). That's right. I HAVE A BETA! She's brilliant, done a fantastic job and deserves a shout-out. So here's to you, LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_

_**Now, with all that out of the way...suppose I better let you get on with the story...  
><strong>_

...

Fifty points. McGonagall had taken fifty points each from him and Draco for their late night visit to the astronomy tower. Neville had also been a victim of the horrendous punishment. The usually nervous boy had discovered his inner Gryffindor, and had wandered out into the night to warn his friends that that they'd been set up by Ron Weasley. Shame he'd been caught.

So that made a grand total of a hundred and fifty points lost from Gryffindor in one night, by three first year students, totally obliterating any chances of beating Slytherin to the Cup.

Harry was miserable. The morning after, the stories had quickly spread. Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, the hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost all of those points, along with Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin outcast that hid amongst the lions, the ex-Death Eater and still presumed dark wizard. At least Neville had managed to get away from it all quite unnoticed, for once glad that he wasn't one of the popular, most talked about students. Harry had become the black sheep of Gryffindor, ignored by all except for the words spoken bitterly behind his back. He could deal with that, it was just like reliving his childhood, he was used to being the hated one. What made him miserable was the suffering of his Angel.

The House of Godric Gryffindor had turned their backs on him, claiming they'd known all along that he should never have been trusted, that letting him into the lion's den was never going to end well. They said they knew he'd turn on them, the whole astronomy tower fiasco was just his first step in bringing Gryffindor (and some went further saying his intentions were aimed at light wizards in general) to its knees. Slytherins began shooting him confused, calculating looks that were often tinged with appreciation. Was this the Malfoy heir's way of saying he'd never really abandoned them after all? Was he planning to come back to their side, or had he never really left? Had the clever blonde known exactly what he was doing all this time, knowing what outcome he would achieve? Through all of this, Draco didn't seem to have even an ounce of care. His only concern was for the well-being of Harry.

But they were strong. They would always stick by each other through anything. They were best friends, but more. Whenever anything struck Harry too hard, his Angel would always be there. He'd do the same for him. Harry somehow knew exactly what Draco needed, whether it was a reassuring squeeze of his hand, words of comfort or just someone to stand beside him. The Tutela was there, and that was something Draco would eternally be grateful for.

They also had their friends. Not all of them, but the ones that mattered were still there. The twins offered stories of how they'd lost the House ridiculous amounts of points, and Hermione spent hours trawling through the school rules book to try and find a loophole to their punishment. Neville was in the same boat, having lost fifty himself, and every now and then the inner bravery that had gotten him in this mess to start with would show as he stood up to defend his friends.

Through it all Ron stood on the sidelines, looking in with a smug look as people flocked around him, believing he had been right all along to never have liked his Housemates. Several times Draco got close to verbally ripping the red head to shreds or even knocking him down physically, but he could never do it for fear of bringing more trouble upon himself and his Tutela.

…

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the Entrance Hall.  
>Prof. M. McGonagall<em>

Draco sighed, rereading the note he'd received earlier as he walked with Harry and Neville towards the front of the school. As they passed a closed door, Harry's head cocked to the side as a faint voice drifted through the wood.

"No– no – not again, please-" Quirrell's voice was easily recognised and the two friends exchanged a questioning look.

The blonde rolled his eyes as Harry's curiosity got the better of him and the brunette crept closer. Neville's eyes flickered between Harry and the door that would lead them to the Entrance Hall, torn between wanting to know what was happening and wanting to stay out of trouble.

"All right – all right-" Quirrell gave a sob and suddenly the door flew open.

Draco grabbed Harry, pulling him backwards into the shadows as Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom, straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. As he strode away he didn't even notice Neville, who was still standing in the middle of the corridor, unable to move in time to hide. The first year students waited until the professor was out of view before continuing on their original path.

"You want to get involved, don't you?"

"…Yes."

The blonde was forced to turn his head completely to look at Harry as his friend walked on his blind side. "You're not going to?"

"None of us are. We've done enough poking around and it's only landed us in a load of shit. I'm starting to agree with Hermione, we should stay out of it."

They walked in silence for a moment, quickly arriving at their destination and saw Filch was already there – and so was Ron Weasley. The redhead glared at them.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked, confused.

Filch smiled eerily, resembling a Cheshire cat that hadn't washed in a few weeks. "Weasley here thought he was being clever, letting McGonagall know you were out after curfew. Didn't feel so clever when she put you in detention for landing your Housemates in trouble, eh?"

The old caretaker spun, limping out into the night, a handheld lamp lighting the way. He began mumbling about old punishments and how unfair it was that he couldn't hang up the students with the chains he kept in his office for such occasions.

Draco nudged Harry with his elbow, "Creep."

Harry suppressed his laugh, instead reaching for the mobile that had begun to vibrate in his pocket. As his fingers danced nimbly over the buttons (a tell tale sign that he texted way too often), typing out a quick moan to Jay about the injustice of detentions, Draco caught Ron's eyes.

The blonde pointed his index and middle finger towards his own eyes then towards the redhead in a clear gesture of 'I'm keeping my eye on you'. Somehow the tall boy managed to make the motion look threatening, whereas most people would have looked stupid. Ron dipped his head in acknowledgement. Harry looked back up, slipping the phone back in his pocket and taking his Angel's hand, completely oblivious to the small exchange.

They continued walking in the dark, and soon the lights from Hagrid's hut came into view along with the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Neville stepped closer to his friends, not wanting to be overheard by anyone else.

"Hagrid's taking our detention?" He received twin shrugs in reply and shuddered. "Great. We're being left in the care of a big, scary man in the middle of the night."

…

"I'm not going in that Forest, and neither is he." Draco stood stock still, arms crossed and nodding towards Harry.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts, yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

Draco glared at the half giant. No way was he giving up that easily.

"There's a reason it's called the _Forbidden _Forest. It's not safe and as Haz's guardian I will not allow him to be put in danger."

Neville clutched at Harry's sleeve automatically, a squeak of terror spilling past his lips. Ron rolled his eyes, trying to act nonchalant when his face clearly betrayed the fact he was afraid.

"That's how it is at Hogwarts. If yeh'd rather be expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack." The Gamekeeper watched as Harry Potter whispered something into the Malfoy boy's ear. The blonde's eyes narrowed and darkened visibly but he nodded slowly. Satisfied he wouldn't get any more arguments, Hagrid continued. "Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight," He received two sets of glares and two sets of worried glances. He chose to ignore them. "an' I don' want no one takin' risks."

He led them over to the edge of the Forest. Something caught Neville's eye and he pointed to a patch of grass lit up by Hagrid's lamp. Draco bent down slowly, the silvery liquid splattered on the ground looking familiar. He cautiously dipped a finger into the strange substance, brought it to his nose, and gave it a delicate sniff.

"That's unicorn blood."

Ron snorted, muttering something that sounded very much like "potions nerd."

"Aye, that it is, Mr. Malfoy." Hagrid said, a tinge of respect in his voice. "There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Draco murmured, unconsciously taking a step closer to Harry, adopting an almost protective stance in front of him.

"There's nothin' that lives in this Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang. We're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions."

Harry reached out a hand and Fang, Hagrid's huge, black boarhound, happily plodded over to him. One hand resting on the dog's head and the other twined with Draco's, he looked expectantly at Hagrid.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward." The half giant nodded to Ron and Neville. "So me, Neville and Ron'll go one way an' Draco, Harry an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right?"

…

"Bored." Draco complained, following the path Fang was setting as he eagerly sniffed out any traces of blood.

They passed a mossy tree stump, barely visible in the dark forest. Whose clever idea was it to hold a detention at midnight?

"Same. We've been up all day and now we're supposed to wander the Forest all night. Really wonder about the sanity of the faculty here. What do you think happened to the unicorn?"

"Haz, I don't know everything about all things magic related." He received a pointed look in return and sighed. "Just because I happened to have read a book on unicorns before…"

"Dray, you were originally a Ravenclaw for a reason."

Draco sighed. "I actually don't know. Unicorns are fast and extremely powerful. I've never heard of one being hurt before, apart from at the hands of a wizard."

The quiet trickle of a stream broke the eerie silence of the woods. Harry's mind focused on the sound, a welcome distraction from the boredom. It was due to this focus that he was able to detect the sound of something slithering over the ground, not dissimilar to a cloak trailing along the damp grass. He pulled his Angel with him behind a tree and Fang seemed to have some sense as he turned, jogging back along the winding path to be with them.

Draco peeked around the tree, dropping into a low, defensive crouch, shoulders hunched and wings ready to burst open if needed. He sighed, straightening and Harry followed him as he walked forward with confidence.

Harry gasped, quickly diverting his gaze as to not be rude. Before them stood a handsome man with red hair and beard. What shocked him was that from the waist down, the man had a gleaming, chestnut horse's body. He copied as Draco bowed deeply.

"Good evening. I am Ronan." The centaur said pleasantly.

"May the moon forever guide your path." Draco spoke gently, as if expecting the calm looking centaur to strike an attack at any second. He didn't notice Ronan's startled surprise at being addressed in the traditional ways of his people. The Angel flicked his gaze up and smiled. "Mars is bright tonight, is it not?"

"Unusually bright, Lapsus."

Draco's eyes widened in shock as the centaur addressed him as the Latin for Fallen. The same as Fawkes had all that time ago. Ronan nodded, in acknowledgement…or was it respect? Confused, Draco remembered the task at hand. "We're here because a unicorn's been hurt. Have you noticed anything?"

"Always the innocent are the first victims." The redhead muttered after a moment's hesitation. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

The blonde sighed deeply, lost in his thoughts. His gaze went to the sky once more then fell to Harry before finally returning to the centaur. "Yes, the tragedy of this unnatural world. The darkness has a witness, no?"

"You truly aren't human." Ronan whispered in sheer wonderment. He seemed to shake himself, clearing his head. "Only the light of Mars, Lapsus, from which its brightness we learn. The Forest hides many secrets."

"Many thanks, Ronan. We must continue. May the sun never betray." The Angel turned, whistling for Fang to continue leading him and Harry through the Forest. They left under the watchful gaze of the half man half horse.

The Tutela couldn't take anymore and he grabbed Draco's shoulder. "_What _the hell was _that_?"

"…You didn't follow any of that, did you?" He sighed, running a hand through his long blonde hair as he was reminded once again how strange he was. "Some sort of Angel given power connection thing?"

Harry shook his head, reliving the conversation in his head and still making no sense of it. "Are there many of them? Do you think it was a centaur we heard earlier?"

Draco shot him another 'I don't know everything' look. "A few, keep to themselves mostly though, it's unusual to only come across one. And no, I think there's something else out there, definitely didn't sound like hooves earlier."

Suddenly a loud whoosh similar to a firework whistled through the air and red sparks erupted into the sky. The friends looked at each other. _The others are in danger._

"Go find Hagrid." Draco instructed Fang, relieved as the dog seemed to understand and disappeared amongst the trees. He stood still for a moment, unsure if he should go find the others by foot or by air. Harry took the choice from him as he walked forward, following the sound of every leaf rustle and twig snap.

Silently they meandered further into the Forest, as one climbing up a level, jumping or swinging from trees with sure movements that came from years of practicing parkour, always covering each other's back.

They came to a halt around a clearing in the woods, on opposite sides of the open space, looking down at the scene beneath them. It was obvious what had happened as Hagrid ranted furiously. Ron had snuck up on Neville for a joke, and the panicked boy had sent up the sparks in fright.

Together, the Tutela and his Angel dropped, landing on soft feet and walking towards each other, meeting in the middle where the others stood. Most of them let out startled gasps as the students seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Find anything?" Draco asked, a complete look of indifference on his face.

Hagrid sighed, reigning in his temper. "Bane, a centaur, an' a lot of use tha' was. Never try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy star-gazers."

Harry wiggled his eyebrows at Draco and the blonde sighed. "We came across one too. They don't know anything about what happened to the unicorn. Ronan said he'd keep an eye out for us, though."

"And he jus' told you tha'? Straight out?" The gamekeeper stared at him disbelievingly.

"…sure."

"Right." Hagrid scratched the back of his head before refocusing on his original task. "We're changin' groups. Harry, you take Fang and go with this idiot. I'm sorry, but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."

"I'm staying with Dray." Harry stated, a glare that so closely matched Draco's on his face.

Draco saw the look on Hagrid's face and knew they wouldn't get anywhere arguing with the half giant. "Haz, the quicker we get this done, the quicker we can go back to the Tower and sleep. If we're too far away that we notice," he tapped his chest, hinting at the whole separation link they had. "I'll meet straight back up with you. Same goes for if you need me in a way I'll know about." Harry knew he meant the way he felt his pain. "Anything else, white sparks and I'll be there."

"Same goes for you, Dray, blue sparks if you're in trouble."

"I can look after myself, Haz." Harry glared at him in a clear 'and I can't? Promise me you prick' way. "Fine. Deal. See you soon."

They both turned, walking off in opposite directions, the other people in their new groups trailing behind, confused. Hagrid shook his head, not sure quite who was in charge of this detention anymore.

…

They'd been walking in complete silence for over an hour, completely ignoring each other and refusing to even show that they knew of the other's existence.

Harry shook his head, lifting his glasses for a second. No, it was still there. The bright white in the distance that he had originally thought was just the moons reflection on his lenses shone out amongst the darkness. He flung out an arm, stopping Ron in his stumbling tracks.

"Look."

Creeping closer, he let out a sigh. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry couldn't think of anything else that was so beautiful but so sad. Images of Draco's pale, lifeless body, held in the arms of his godfather forced their way into his mind at that thought and he shuddered. He took a step closer and saw long, slender legs stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly white on the dark leaves. A slithering sound made him freeze where he stood.

Out of the shadows a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. It reached the unicorn, lowering its head over the wound in the animal's side and slowly, so sickeningly slowly, began to drink its blood.

Ron stopped beside him and let out a blood curdling scream. Blindly, Harry felt for his wands, unable to move his eyes from the terrible sight before him and sent white explosions high up into the night sky.

The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry, bright silver unicorn blood dribbling down its front. It got to its feet, covering the distance between them.

A blinding pain pierced through the brunette's head like he'd never felt before, his scar was on fire. He tried to scream but his voice came out course and was lost to the wind. He collapsed to his knees, completely paralyzed by fear and the agony centred on his forehead.

…

Brilliant white erupted in the sky and the wind carried the unmistakable sound of a scream throughout the Forest, straight to Draco's inhumanly sensitive ears.

Neville went to grab him, and Hagrid had the nerve to stand in his way. Did they actually think they could stop him? He swept low underneath the flailing arm of the half giant and ran before either had a chance to stop him. He kept running until he was out of the sight of the people behind him then leapt over a low oak branch, hauling himself up and scaling the huge tree in a matter of seconds. At the top his wings burst from his shoulders and without a second's hesitation he threw himself into the air, his only thought being to get to his Tutela.

He managed a few seconds of flight before a lightning bolt of white hot pain smashed through his head. Completely frozen, Draco plummeted towards the ground. The tops of the trees were rushing towards him too fast, he had to move. He couldn't help Harry like this. _Harry_. His Tutela was in this pain, _this _was _his _pain. He had to get to him. On instinct his wings spread before he could impact and he willed them to move, propelling him blindly over the Forest. He couldn't see, couldn't think, the pain was just too much. But that didn't matter; he knew where he had to go. The space in his chest where a heart used to beat was pulling him, guiding him. He'd be there soon. Soon it would all be over.

Harry was directly underneath him. Sheer willpower had his eyes opening and he blinked, trying to clear his blurred vision, looking past the black spots dancing before his good eye to search for a clear landing. He saw it, a patch of grass completely free of trees, all it would take was a seventy foot fall, and he would land straight in it. He would have laughed if he'd have had the strength; the fall was tiny compared to a certain other one he'd been forced to make, and he'd managed to survive that, so logic told him this would be easy. Ignoring the voice in his head that screamed at him that it wasn't safe, he retracted his wings, their disappearance taking away all that was keeping the blonde in the air. Once more the Earth rushed to meet him and air wailed past his ears with a deafening force. He was glad as the harsh winds whipped at his face, momentarily cooling the burn in his forehead but all too soon it was over.

He landed in a low crouch, back almost straight and one arm stretched down between his legs, hand planted firmly on the long grass, the other arm whipping out to the side for balance. A landing Harry would've been proud of. _Harry._

Thundering footfalls ran through the Forest and the Angel jumped up and back, ready to attack. The agony in his forehead intensified suddenly and he only managed a glance at what was coming towards him before he was doubled over in pain. He couldn't bring himself to care as large, calloused hands grabbed for him with a strength that would have crushed human bones with ease.

As he was dragged through the Forest he became aware that he was heading closer and closer to Harry. This thought served to kick his pounding mind into action and he focused on the world around him, fighting against the pain to realise he had been slung roughly over a horse back, arms and legs dangling limply next to palomino hair. He sat up straight, legs falling into a position that came naturally from years of riding in France and his arms wrapping tightly around the well-muscled torso before him.

"Show your strength, little Lapsus, for Mars is bright tonight."

…

Harry fell back, torn between wanting to get away from whatever the vile creature was that had attacked the unicorn and wanting to keep it in his rapidly darkening line of sight. _Where the fuck was everyone_, his mind screamed desperately. Ron and Fang had run off as soon as they'd seen the cloaked figure, clearly not being affected by it in the same way as the Tutela.

The fire in his forehead burned hotter as it took another slow step towards him, but it stopped in its tracks as the not so distant sound of galloping hooves drew closer.

Out of nowhere something burst from the trees, a blood-chilling war cry that would have been impossible to draw from human lungs filling the cold night air. Harry ducked down, throwing an arm over his head as the thing jumped clean over him, charging at the figure. He could feel the gust of wind left in its path. Pulling his dust covered glasses from his face he looked up to see a sight which was both magnificent and terrifying.

A young but huge centaur was reared up, powerful front legs pawing the air, a hair's breadth away from cloaked creature. Another cry filled the air and Harry's attention was drawn to the centaur's rider. Draco sat straddled on the pale back, apparently having no trouble staying aboard the centaur beneath him as it reared, bucked and kicked out several more times, chasing the figure around the clearing, blocking its every movement with sharp turns and burst of speeds that Harry knew would have thrown him to the ground ages ago had he been the one riding the half-horse. Draco's eyes were dark and flashed with something almost wild, something almost dangerous. His grey wings were spread out to their full size, large arches of downy feathers that swept down to either side of the centaur's hind legs, inches from brushing along the ground.

The figure stopped dead in the very centre of the clearing, its face completely shadowed by its low hood. Somehow predicting its next move, Draco drew his wand and a second later it was pointed at the creature, a spell already spilling over his lips. But it was too late. With a spin it vanished in a billow of robes.

Draco leaned forward with a scowl of disappointment, whispering his gratitude into the ear of the centaur while simultaneously swinging his right leg in a smooth arc, dismounting neatly. He noted the near unbearable pain had disappeared with the creatur, and stored the information away to look over later, at the moment only being able to bring himself to care about one thing.

Harry stood up shakily, barely registering a blonde blur as it threw itself at him, strong arms around his back being the only thing stopping him from winding up back on his backside. Harry quickly returned the embrace, wrapping his arms tight around the taller boy, pulling him closer, his face pressed into Draco's shoulder. He let out a deep, shuddering breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, grateful for the warmth the other boy emitted and the familiar, comforting smell of apples and vanilla that seemed to always surround his Angel.

"I…I was so scared, Dray."

"Hush, I know. It's okay now, I promise." Grey wings surrounded them, enveloping them in their own private bubble, for a moment completely cut off from the world. "I was scared to. Terrified, actually. I had no clue what had happened to you, what was going on, what was causing that hideous hurt."

"And yet through all of that you managed to find me. You rode a bloody centaur! You fought that creature and nearly had it. You're so much stronger than me." He tilted his head, his eyes directed towards the ground. "All I did was sit on my arse and wait for someone to come and rescue me."

Draco frowned, pulling his head back to look down at the mess of raven hair. "Haz, look at me." The smaller boy refused stubbornly, and the blonde cupped his cheek in a pale hand, forcing Harry to look up. He returned his arm to its previous position, making sure to keep Harry's jade eyes locked with his own. "You saw what that…_thing _was capable of. It took down a fully grown unicorn! I dread to think what it could've done to a human body. It could have killed you, would have killed you, we both know that. I know full well that you're not suicidal, so what else were you supposed to do?"

Something that Draco couldn't quite place flashed across Harry's face. "I'm not just a human, I'm a bloody wizard! A bloody useless wizard."

"Do you even know a spell that would've brought it down? Throwing a jelly-legs jinx at something that dark wouldn't have made any difference." Draco cursed himself, his words sounding harsher than he'd intended. "Look, I'm sorry. But you need to see that lack of experience doesn't automatically make you a useless wizard. Stop bringing yourself down. In all honesty, I'm glad that you haven't been put through the experiences you'd need to stand a chance at fighting that creature."

"I shouldn't have to rely on you to save the day all the time."

"Who's the one that reins my temper in every time I lose it and am about to blow everything up? Who's the one that makes me stop and think every time a potentially dangerous situation comes up? I could go on. The point is, I save you and you save me. Maybe not always in the same ways but we're a team, no one is stronger or better than the other. Now come on, let's find the others, all this sentimentality is starting to make me feel all human." He mock shuddered, trading a small smile with his Tutela and unwrapping them both from various cocoons of wings and arms, retracting the former back into his shoulders.

The Angel looked up, seeing the form of the centaur he had ridden in the distance, playing the role of watchman. "Firenze?"

The half-man tossed his head in their direction, reaching them in a few seconds with a few strides of canter. He bowed low to Draco who returned the gesture with a smile. Harry stared at the interaction, dumbstruck. Earlier he hadn't been in the frame of mind to notice, but the palomino centaur had long, white-blonde hair, the exact same shade as Draco's. A brief image flashed in his mind, three blondes stood together in a graveyard. Seems Firenze had the same hair colour as all the Malfoys. Firenze turned his astonishingly blue eyes upon Harry, shocking him when he bowed in his direction and he hurried to return the movement.

"You are the Potter boy. You had better get back to Hagrid. The Forest is not safe at this time – especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way." He went to lower himself to his front legs but stopped when Draco raised a hand.

"Please, keep your dignity, friend." He cupped his hands together, nodding for Harry to plant a foot onto his interlocked fingers before heaving in one swift movement, giving Harry the momentum to mount easily although not overly gracefully.

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and another centaur they didn't recognise came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" The unknown centaur thundered, his black hair whipping the air as he shook his head in anger. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realise who this is?" Firenze bellowed back. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this Forest, the better."

"What have you been telling him?" growled the stranger, oblivious as Draco crept closer to Firenze, making sure Harry was able to keep his balance on the quickly angering centaur. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?" Ronan pawed the ground nervously, attempting to defend his friend's actions but went ignored. "Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our Forest!"

Firenze suddenly reared up, nearly throwing Harry from his back. Draco caught the brunette, steadying him once Firenze was back on all fours.

"He is no stray human! He is the Tutela of the Lapsus! The Lapsus is of the stars, of the heavens, we have an allegiance to them, their human counterparts included."

Twin gasps filled the air as the black and red centaur bowed deeply to Draco, noticing him for the first time.

"We send our greatest apologies, Lapsus, we did not know the boy was the one to carry your heart. We beg forgiveness."

Draco nodded slowly, not quite sure what had happened. He saw Firenze turn to leave and followed, pausing when the half-man looked back over his shoulder to add a final comment.

"And did you not see that unicorn? Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this Forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must, regardless of whether they are commoners or of the stars." Firenze whisked around and plunged off into the trees, Draco forced to follow at a sprint, and left Ronan and Bane behind them.

After a moment, when Firenze realised Draco's two legs couldn't quite keep up with his four, he slowed to a halt. He waved a hand at his own back, gesturing for Draco to also climb aboard. Harry scooted back, letting his more experienced friend sit in front of him, secretly glad that all he had to do now was cling onto Draco and not have to worry what his legs and arms were doing. Although he hadn't said anything, Harry could tell Firenze was irritated by his complete lack of knowledge concerning horseback riding. They set of once more, their speed not hindered despite the addition of the blonde's weight.

"What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?" Harry asked, uncertain if he was aiming the question at Draco or Firenze.

For a long while he didn't receive an answer. The centaur and Angel conversed briefly in that strange way of theirs and both seemed to come to some sort of agreement before the trio came to a complete stop.

"Hagrid's path will lead him here in a few moments." Firenze stated, gesturing to the dense trees that surrounded them. Something almost hesitant flickered across his face and he spoke, directing his words at Harry. "Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No, we've only used the horn and tail-hair in Potions. I will bet you anything Draco does, though."

Draco rolled his eyes at him but nodded. "If unicorn blood is consumed, it will keep the drinker alive, no matter how close to death they are."

"Correct, little Lapsus, Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half life from the moment the blood touches your lips."

A gasp of realisation flew from Draco's lips as he pieced together all the facts in his Ravenclaw worthy head.

"But who'd be that desperate?" Harry wondered aloud, not able to gather the information as his Angel had. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"

"Haz, don't you see?" Draco murmured, eyes wide. "Who was killed by a rebounded killing curse? Whose soul was torn apart into so many tiny pieces that it wasn't even possible for it all the return to his body? You heard what Gabriel said, you must remember? He was so weak his followers had to carry him out after _that _night. He's been recovering for ten years. There can only be a few ways to recover from something like that." He watched the cold realisation dawn in Harry's expressive eyes.

Firenze nodded his agreement gravely. "And you were right, little Tutela, death is better…unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and power – something that will mean you can never die. Mr Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"The Philosopher's Stone?" He didn't notice as the centaur shivered, but Draco could tell the tell tale signs of fear in the slight tremors against his legs. "Of course! The Elixir of Life, gives the drinker immortality. Wait that means…that was...that creature was-"

A bustling in the nearby trees alerted them that Hagrid would be arriving any second.

"This is where I leave you." Firenze murmured quickly, his head flicking in every direction as if scouring every inch of their surroundings.

Harry sighed, it sunk in that Draco wouldn't be able to get off until he did. Trying his best to imitate how he'd seen Draco dismount earlier he leant forward, swinging his leg too high too quick and completely losing his balance, somehow managing to land on the ground on both feet but his momentum sent him stumbling backwards. Without a second thought he threw his arms up, going into a backwards walkover with a lot more elegance than his dismount. Standing, he bowed deep to Draco as the blonde landed beside him smoothly.

"I so meant to do that." Harry defended with a grin.

Rolling his eyes, Draco nodded to Firenze. "Many thanks, my friend, may I ask just one last question of you before you set off on your way?" He nodded his head, long pale hair drifting in the soft breeze. "Why did you react in such a way when the Philosopher's Stone was mentioned? And what did you mean earlier, about an allegiance? You also seem to know a lot about what I am?"

"That is many questions, but you deserve answers. Us centaurs, we concern ourselves with the movements of the stars and planets, of what's to come in the future of this world. You come from the heavens, little Lapsus. We have another name for people like you, children of the stars. Your kind always play a large role in whatever is to come, fate seems to always revolve around you. Because of this we have made it our duty to protect your people, and your human halves." He gestured to Harry. "Although it is an ancient duty, your kind doesn't come along too often, I promise to do my best to fulfil it. Now, please understand, tales of centaurs and Angels working together have been passed down from father to foul for generations, over the centuries we have managed to accumulate a fair amount of knowledge about your kind. Now, your question of the Philosopher's Stone." He paused briefly, lost in though. "Such a cold name for something so precious." Firenze murmured darkly. Hagrid burst from the trees, followed quickly by Fang, Neville and Ron. "Look, this Gabriel you mentioned earlier, is it your mentor?" Draco gave a half nod, half shrug. "Ask it, it is not my place to speak of such vile matters and uninvolved ears ought not to hear such tragic tales." He flicked his head subtly towards the newcomers.

Draco nodded once more, reaching out a hand that was grabbed in firm, pale grip. "I will thank you once more and let you be on your way. You have done a lot for us. I am in your debt, and I won't allow either of us to forget that." He watched as the centaur cantered back into the depths of the Forest before turning to face the rest of the people around him.

"They talk ter yeh normal? Yeh knew what he were sayin'?" Hagrid asked, seemingly dumbstruck by all the events of the night.

"No, we are but ruddy star-gazers, it would take a creature of great intelligence to even attempt to comprehend our ways." The wind carried a voice to them, impossible to tell from which direction. Hagrid gave a huff, not noticing as Draco and Harry beamed at Firenze's hidden compliment.

Harry shook himself, the sudden wind bringing a coldness that served to refocus his mind. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

...

_**TBC  
>Onyx Claws~#<strong>_

…


	16. Arguments and determination

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**This has been Beta-ed by the wonderful LadyGreenleafofMirkwood, so many thanks to her, I'm sure you all appreciate the improved grammar/spelling/etc.**_

_**Hey guys, so guess what. Know all that trouble I was having with my computer/internet? Turned out I had, like, four viruses and it had taken my security two and a half years to detect it. Complete shit. But...I took it down to the repair shop and handed it over to a guy that looks like a cross between Jigsaw and the surgeon from The Human Centipede and talks like the original M&S advert girl (don't know if this shop is only in the UK, so I apologize if some of you don't know what I mean). So, et voila, finally, everything is fixed and whoopy-doo-y, and I have complete internet freedom now, which means quicker updates for all you lovely people! XD Big thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story and I hope you continue to like it :) so, yeah...on with the show...**_

...

Neville, Draco, Harry and Ron didn't get back to the castle until the sun had already begun its assent over the horizon and the four took full advantage of the fact it was now Saturday, sleeping well into the afternoon.

Harry was the first to wake, sitting bolt upright in a panic, his shouts of lateness and being killed soon waking the others, similar to his first morning at Hogwarts. Groans filled the room and Harry smacked his head, calling out an apology as he sunk back down onto the soft bed. It was very rare of him to wake thinking he was back at Privet Drive but when he did it was loud, embarrassing, and very annoying.

"Haz…look, sleep…castle see? Sleep." Draco murmured and Harry grinned down at him. Even barely conscious Draco was quick to make sure his Tutela was okay.

Ron groaned once more, kicked his legs out of bed and threw a robe on. "Yeah Potter, listen to your girlfriend and stop acting like a wuss. Or has Longbottom been a bad influence on you?" Without a second glance he dashed from the dormitory, narrowly missing the various objects that were launched at his head.

"Ignore him, Nev, you heard his scream last night, he's got no place calling anyone a coward." Harry managed to say around a yawn, stretching his arms up to the ceiling.

"And he's obviously blind; I mean come on, look at him." Draco gestured to Harry from his position still spread-eagled on the bed.

The brunette looked down at the boy beside him, absently tugging at his huge shirt, pulling it free from where a corner was trapped under Draco's back. "What about me?"

Draco furrowed a brow in confusion. "You're kidding, right? If we had the relationship that Weasley accuses us of having, you'd obviously be the girl."

"What? Fuck off!" Harry yelled indignantly, shoving the blonde off the bed.

Draco peered up at him from his position on the floor, untangling himself from the duvet he'd managed to drag down with him in his fall. A huge grin spread across his face, knowing he'd deserved that response but also knowing full well that it had never been Harry's intention to try to hurt him, no matter how futile that would have been. "Of course you are. You're younger than me and don't forget you're gravitationally challenged."

"I'm not short, I'm seeker-sized! It's not my fault that you're a frickin' beanpole!" Harry bit back defensively.

Neville rolled his eyes, stifling a laugh before it could spill from his lips, knowing from past experiences he didn't want the two bickering wizards to focus their attention on him. The two best friends didn't argue often but on such occasions it was vicious, loud and hilarious. Both threw everything they had into every barbed response, safe in the knowledge that neither of them would truly hurt the other. For them it was more a battle of wits than an actual argument. Everyone knew that as soon as one wasn't quick enough with a comeback, usually Harry, the other would do some sort of victory move before both burst out laughing, and within seconds returning to complete normalcy like nothing had happened.

"Yes, and all of what you just said just backs the fact that you are indeed the girl." Draco replied almost smugly.

Harry paused for a second, thinking as he rolled lazily off the bed. "Ah, but who was the one who spent his childhood prancing round on ponies and being taught about music, art and other pretty things?"

"A very small portion of my childhood." Draco murmured, unconsciously copying Neville as the silent boy began dressing. "But, who's the one that did all our cooking and cleaning while at the Dursley's?"

"Harsh, stereotyping much?" Harry replied, awkwardly grinning up at him from where he was bent to tie a shoelace.

"Not my personal opinion, just an argument to add to the growing list of why you're the woman. Alright…you're the more emotional one."

"Okay, fine, but you're the one that's better at _dealing_ with emotions." He looped an arm around the blonde's, dragging him after Neville as they headed towards the Great Hall, looking for all the world like they were merely discussing the weather.

"You're obsessed with housework."

"Not obsessed, I just take pride in doing my job well. You're a shopaholic."

"You secretly love pretty things." Draco shot back, grabbing Harry's hand and raising it so his robe sleeve fell down to his elbow, revealing the gold bracelet that could always be found there. He caught the emerald heart charm between two fingers, sweeping a thumb over the embedded pearl before releasing his Tutela.

"Speaking of which, you're the girl because you're the pretty one."

Draco stopped mid-step, forcing the two people walking with him to halt. He pinned Harry with narrowed eyes, a slow, mischievous smirk making its way across his face.

"You think I'm pretty?"

Harry spluttered, for a moment unable to form coherent words. "No! Well, I mean…you are but, you know…It's not a personal opinion. Everyone thinks so. Right Nev?"

"Don't you dare drag me into this, Harry."

The Angel pouted, a mock look of disappointment in his eyes. "So you think I'm pretty in a non-personal way?" He gave a delicate sniff, sticking his nose in the air. "I feel hurt."

"Shut it, you ponce, with the amount of time you spend preening in front of the mirror every morning, you know you're not exactly ugly." Harry shot Neville a desperate look. "Back me up?"

Neville shrugged, pausing for a second to listen to the loud raucous that signaled dinner as being in full swing before pushing open the doors to the Great Hall. "I've already said don't drag me into your argument."

"Argument? Oh yeah. What were we arguing about again?" Harry said, making his way over to his usual spot at the Gryffindor table.

"I don't know but I think I won." Draco nodded his head, full of confidence.

"Never! It was at least a draw, I'd say." Harry looked around him, seeing that the rest of the table was a degree quieter than normal. All attention seemed to be focused on Ron but the redhead didn't seem to be doing much more than stabbing moodily at his food. "What's going on?"

After a moment, Dean decided to fill the trio in when no one else seemed willing to talk to them. "We all know why you three were late." He glared at Harry, Neville and Draco, indicating he hadn't forgotten about their detention and the points they'd lost. "But we're all wondering why he hasn't been around until now."

"He had detention with us." Draco said, a single brow raised. "He's the one that ratted us out and McGonagall thought it appropriate to punish him for it."

"Wait, it's his fault that you lot got caught?" Angered cries rang out along the table and Ron sank further into his seat, ears burning a bright red.

Harry and Draco watched as the whole of Gryffindor slowly turned on the youngest Weasley son. Draco nudged his Tutela, whispering out of the corner of his mouth.

"Does this count as karma or revenge?"

"Both. But we still hate him."

"Oh, of course."

…

"So that thing was Voldemort. And someone in the school is trying to steal the Stone for him. And that someone is either Snape or Quirrell."

Draco leant forward in anger, about to protest against Harry's words but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked around at the others in the room and Hermione, Harry, the twins and Neville looked back at him.

"Look, we know you trust him with your life but all we have to prove Snape's innocence is your word." Harry gave a small cough and Hermione amended her statement. "And Harry's word."

"It doesn't matter who's after it." Fred cut in.

"Yeah, as long as someone is actually after it, there's trouble." George finished.

"But what are we to do?" Harry's frustration got the better of him and his voice rose to just above a whisper. He took a deep breath, calming himself. They were all huddled together in the Gryffindor common room in the middle of the night but they couldn't risk being overheard. "Do we just wait for the Stone to be stolen? Then Voldemort would be able to come and finish me off."

"The bastard would have to get past me first." Draco muttered.

"Harry's got a point, though, what are we going to do?" Neville asked, receiving no more response than several troubled expressions.

…

Professor Severus Snape clenched his fists under his desk, watching as two students at the back of the room bent their heads low, trying to hide their grimaces of pain while struggling to continue with their work.

Harry had large, black bruises under his eyes and his scar was standing out red raw against his tan skin. Draco showed no physical signs of tiredness…was he even able to? Snape shook himself, getting back to his original path of thought. The blonde had the same pained expression as his friend but apart from that and the slight tremor to his hands, it was impossible to tell that anything was wrong.

He wanted to get up and escort both of them to the hospital wing but decided against it. Logic told him that his godson was one of the best guardians around and would have already taken them to Madam Pomfrey if something serious was going on.

…

Draco gently placed a cold compress against his Tutela's head, relieved as he felt the pain reduce significantly.

"Thanks, Dray. What would I do without you? I don't know half the ingredients you've put in that thing, let alone be able to mix them together into something useful." He pointed to the wrapped bundle still being held against his head.

The blonde smiled proudly. "And Sev had the nerve to say I was physically unable to make any healing potions. To answer your question, without me you'd be down the hospital wing, having to answer all sorts of questions that I think I'm right in presuming you'd rather not answer." He sighed, stretching his legs out alongside Harry's, noting smugly that his own were a lot longer. He wriggled his feet and frowned. Not as much longer as they used to be, though. Trust Harry to suddenly have a growth spurt. "How've you been? Really?"

Harry gave a shrug and sighed. "You know as well as I do that ever since that night in the Forest my scar's been playing up. I wish I knew what it meant, though."

"If it's getting worse then maybe we really should go and see Madam Pomfrey."

"No." Harry sighed, his mind wandering in circles. "It was bad enough when we asked Hermione for her advice, it's better to not get anyone else involved. No, I don't think it's anything serious…more like a warning of some kind, you know?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair, mussing it out of its usual perfection. "You said it started hurting that night. If that thing was Voldemort…maybe your scar becomes sensitive when he's around, or when he gets stronger? I doubt it's just a general danger warning otherwise it would have been playing up most of your life, not just the last few days."

"Makes sense. Anyway, why did you ask what's wrong? You knew my scar was sore."

"I meant apart from that. I know you haven't been sleeping well. And the exams?"

"I've had a few nightmares is all. Nothing unusual, sorry if I've been keeping you awake." He smiled a little as Draco shot him a look that clearly said 'like I mind'. "Do you even get tired?"

"I…yeah. I feel tired but it doesn't really do anything. I don't think I actually _need_ to sleep. One of the perks of always being at my physical peak I guess. I can stay awake all night and not be affected, unlike you, panda face." He cupped Harry's cheek, tracing a thumb lightly underneath one of his eyes as if attempting to wipe away the dark shadows that clung there.

Harry let his lids close slowly, feeling relaxed for the first time ages. "It's alright for some. Erm…I think I did okay in the exams. Average. Defence Against The Dark Arts went quite well but I couldn't remember anything for History of Magic. I got the pineapple to shuffle awkwardly for the Charms practical but it was far from a tap-dance." He looked down, afraid he might see disappointment in his Angel's eyes.

"I'm sure you did a lot better than you think. Give yourself more credit, you're very intelligent…when you want to be." Draco gave a light chuckle, placing a hand once more against Harry's face. "Look at me. I know exactly what you're thinking. Even if you failed every exam, though I know for certain you didn't, I wouldn't be disappointed in you. I never have been and never will be. I know how hard you tried. You put everything into it, what more could anybody want?"

"Thanks Dray." The brunette smiled, leaning into Draco's hand as the older boy showed no sign of dropping it from his cheek. "How'd you do?"

"Perfect, of course. Even got extra credit in Transfiguration for giving the mouse turned snuff-box a tartan pattern. McGonagall was very impressed."

Harry grinned, "Ron's right for once, you are a nerd."

…

A group of four first years and two third years were slumped by a tree, basking in the midday sun. An atmosphere of relief seemed to have settled over the school hidden high in the Scottish mountains. Finally, all the exams were over.

"A penny for your thoughts." Draco murmured, breaking the comfortable silence and tossing a small, round object to Harry.

Harry caught the coin with a smile, ignoring Neville and the twins as they started questioning what the blonde meant. "You still carry around Muggle money?"

Draco shrugged, knowing that less than a year ago he would have been horrified at the thought of having been anywhere that required the currency. Now that he thought about it, it would have also horrified him that he'd picked up a Muggle saying. "Only change; can't get that exchanged at Gringotts. What's on your mind?"

"How did Hagrid get Norbert?"

"The dragon? Erm…he mentioned a pub and a card game."

"That's what I thought." Harry said almost to himself as he gazed off into the distance, eyes falling on a small stone and wood hut. "Don't you think it's a little odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think?"

"Oh, no. No. Just no."

"_Yes!_" The brunette stood, sprinting across the grounds towards the edge of the Forrest. Draco drew level with him and the others scrambled to keep up.

Hagrid was sat outside his house shelling peas. A look of surprise flashed across his large face as six students ran towards him but he soon smiled and waved.

"Hullo, finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

Draco shuddered, mind reeling around all the trouble that drink could have caused. They needed answers.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something." Harry said through heavy breaths. "You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno, he wouldn't take his cloak off."

"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up. Yeah…he asked what I did an' I told him I was gamekeeper here…" He frowned, trying to remember.

Draco could tell in a second that this wouldn't be quick. The half-giant had a tendency to ramble that he didn't think he had the patience for. "Please, get to the point, Hagrid. You're a very useful person to talk to, but we're in a hurry." He grimaced, his words sounding a lot ruder than he'd intended. Damn his demanding, pure-blooded traits.

Hagrid paused for a second, wondering if he should feel insulted or complimented. "I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks…" He didn't notice as Harry and Draco exchanged a knowing look. "Let's see…yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards for it if I wanted…but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home…So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…"

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?"

"Well – yeah – how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep." He suddenly looked horrified. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out, watching the young wizards turn and run off. "Hey! Where're yeh goin'?"

The friends came to a halt just inside the entrance hall. Draco scanned the room, making sure nobody would overhear his words.

"That's twice he's told us how to get past Fluffy. I think it's safe to say that little secret is starting to become general knowledge. Who knows what else he let slip to this stranger?"

"We've got to tell Dumbledore. He's the one looking after the Stone, we need to tell him that there's a hole in his security." Hermione said straight away.

"Dumbledore isn't here." Fred cut in.

"Yeah, he was looking over the third years in our final exam this morning. About halfway through an owl came in." George continued, frowning.

"And delivered it to the Headmaster. It was a Ministry owl so he could be gone for ages." Fred finished.

They fell silent as McGonagall swept through the hall. She scowled at them but didn't pause to ask questions.

"It's tonight." Harry said once the Professor had passed out of ear shot. "Whoever Voldemort has working in the castle will go through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a right shock when Dumbledore turns up."

Neville let out a gasp and the group spun. Snape stepped out of the shadows, walking towards them with a cold sneer.

"Good afternoon." He said smoothly.

"Alright, Sev?" Draco received a death glare and quickly amended his words. "I mean, good day to you too, Sir."

"Better." The professor glared around all the upturned faces, seeing his godson and Harry roll their eyes at his behaviour but deciding to ignore them. "You shouldn't be inside on a day like this."

"Build us a track or better yet some obstacles and we'd happily spend the day outside. Endless, rolling plains of grass gets a little old after a while, you know?" Draco shot back.

It took a moment for Snape to remember to suppress a knowing smile. He would love for his favourite students to continue their running at Hogwarts but sadly that wasn't an option. "Indeed. But you want to be more careful. Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose anymore points, can they?"

Draco smiled, knowing the last bit was just added to cover up his genuine concern. He knew that everyone else besides his Tutela would never see that, though. This thought was proved by the terrified looks on his friends faces.

"Be warned, Potter," Snape continued with an almost sadistic smile. "Any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Language, Potter." He reprimanded as Harry cussed under his breath. He had always hated how the boy swore without hesitance and with a fluency that didn't normally come to someone so young, but knew it was his upbringing that was to blame. "Good day to you." He left in a billow of robes.

"I hate him. He hates me."

"Lies, you admire him and he thinks of you as family. He says cruel things but you know as well as I do he doesn't mean it. To _us_, anyway." Draco smirked, something akin to affection shining in his eyes.

A warm feeling pooled in Harry's stomach and his face flushed.

"Sorry you two but no matter what you say, I don't trust him. He still might be the one after the Stone." George said almost apologetically.

"Then that's it." Harry's eyes hardened in determination.

Draco looked at him, reading every flicker of emotion across his face, looking deep into his emerald green eyes. "No. No! You're not doing it."

"I have no choice."

"What're you going to do, Harry?" The twins asked in unison.

"He's not going to do anything." Draco said, moving to stand directly in front of Harry so they were face to face, barely an inch apart. He stared down at him and the gaze locked onto his own was filled with the same amount of stubbornness.

They stood like that for a long moment, a silent battle of wills to see who would cave first. None of their friends spoke, all inwardly knowing that the result of this confrontation would determine their next move. Harry was the first to speak but he didn't dare to drop his eyes from the blonde's.

"Don't you understand? If Voldemort gets hold of the Stone, it's all over. You of all people know what it'll be like if he rises to power again. I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and I'm going to try to get to the Stone first. Nothing you can say is going to stop me."

Finally Draco looked away, but only for a second. When their eyes met again, dark grey was filled with an almost haunted pain. "I know. I know someone has to get it first. But that someone doesn't have to be you. I'll do it. I don't want you anywhere near him or his people, who knows what or who could be waiting down there? I will go and I'm going alone." He had to look away again at the look of hurt on Harry's face.

"I thought we were a team?" Harry murmured, dropping his head and looking at the floor. He knew it was a low blow but he wasn't going to back down easily. "We can do it. Together. We stand a better chance that way. I promise you I'll leave if it gets too dangerous. But if it gets to that then you're leaving too. We stick together, fight together and leave together. I won't let you be on your own."

Draco stared at him for a second, mind spinning round in circles. He knew Harry too well. He knew he could never stop the younger boy from going. At least this way he could keep him as safe as possible, keep his eye on him. He stuck his arm out and Harry clasped it in relief. "Team."

Suddenly they became very aware that they weren't alone as one by one Hermione, the twins and Neville clasped onto their joint hands, calling out their own agreements of 'team'.

"You never thought we'd let you go alone, did you?" Hermione said.

"And take all the glory for yourselves?" George added.

"Besides, we won't all fit under that cloak of Harry's and we know of a few…hidden secrets." Fred grinned mischievously.

"Friends always help each other out." Neville finished in a scared but sure voice.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. They didn't want them to go. It was bad enough that they were risking themselves, they couldn't bear to think of putting their friends in danger too. But looking around at all of their faces, they knew they didn't have a choice. They would all be going through the trapdoor. Their only hope was that they would all make it back out again.

…

_**TBC  
><strong>__**Onyx Claws~#**_


	17. Plants and wings

_**For a summery, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**Beta-ed by the wonderful _**LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_**_

_**_**Hey guys. So I didn't die/abandon this story. I have been very ill though. As in, passing out all the time (so several bouts of concussion, fractured jaw and a nice little tumble down a flight of stairs when I fainted on the top step), killer migraines, and something to do with my stomach (can't remember what the doctor called it *shrug*) etc. Oh yeah, the bed-servatory has started to get so cold I got first degree frostbite too. Whoo. The doctor told me I'm at severe risk of hypothermia (I can't retain body heat, stupid mucked up metabolism) but refused to prescribe me a hot water bottle or electric blanket -_-**_**_

_**_**So yeah, That's why I haven't been updating, in and out of doctors, specialist clinic-y places and all that jazz.**_**_

_**_**Just one final ramble; my school found out (no clue in Hell how) about me having some disorders/socially unacceptable ways of coping/etc. and got my delightful mother involved (can you feel my sarcasm?). So yeah, that's resulted in me being dragged kicking and screaming here and there all over the place into even more doctors, specialist clinic-y places and therapy sessions (which, to be honest, i think is completely ridiculous. Why do people only give a shit about each other once they've been given a few bad labels? The system makes me laugh). So it's all "So how are you feeling today?" "Let's delve into your childhood." "Let's ask you hundreds of pointless questions blah blah blah"...which is all very inconvenient when trying to find time to update.  
><strong>_**_

_**_**But yeah, that's waaay too much from me, I shouldn't keep you waiting after all this time having not updated...so hope you enjoy it...**_**_

...

They moved through the corridors and halls of the ancient castle on silent feet. A flying wedge of young students, barely visible in the cold darkness. They couldn't help but let a sense of invincibility wash over them. Nothing could stop them, they had a purpose, a goal, and nothing would keep them from it.

A lone figure suddenly stepped from the shadows, directly in front of the leader of the pack. Harry came to an immediate halt, watching from the corners of his eyes as the group broke formation, Hermione and Draco coming to stand by his sides and the twins and Neville moved to effectively surround the stranger. The cloaked person sighed loudly, raising its dark hands to show it was un-armed. It slowly reached for its hood, flicking it down to reveal a familiar face. Blaise Zabini nodded once to Draco, but his features remained devoid of all emotion.

"You six came to my attention a few weeks ago. I thought it would be interesting to...keep an eye on you." His voice was so soft and delicate yet somehow carried clearly around the group. "You may think you're oh so clever and secretive, and to most of the oblivious people in this school, you are." He allowed a smirk to pull at his lips. "But anyone paying the slightest bit of attention would know exactly what you're up to. Well, I say exactly...I know you're after something, but not sure what. I know you're heading to the third floor."

Draco took a step forward threateningly. Despite the African boy's height, he was only an inch or two taller than Draco and bowed his head under the weight of the blonde's calculating gaze.

"Who are you?"

Blaise's head snapped back up in confusion. "Zab-"

"To me?"

"Someone who regrets not having spoken to you properly in ages." Blaise responded straight away. He took a second to think before continuing. "I respect you. I think it was wrong how quickly we turned on you without first finding out if you had reasons for doing the things you did. You should know I never truly stopped thinking of you as a friend. And besides, you stood up to the Dark Lord, something I-" He swept his gaze over all the faces looking at him and leant forward so his lips were by Draco's ear. "Plan to do very soon. You know the Dark Lord is beginning to take younger and younger people, making us his as soon as we're old enough to get our Hogwarts letters? Merlin, of course you know, the great Draco Malfoy, you were the first!" He paused, regaining control over his voice, making sure it never rose above a whisper. "I know you know what's happened with my family. He approached me and my sister. She's joined him. Didn't even take a moment to think. But I won't let him have me. I am trusting you and you alone with this information. You wouldn't betray an old friend, would you?" He smirked as the blonde shook his head fractionally and once again returned to his place in the centre of the mostly Gryffindor circle. "Good boy." He sneered, breaking through the people around him and continuing down the corridor.

"Wait!" Draco called after him. "Can I trust you?"

Zabini glanced over his shoulder, looking the Angel up and down with an arched brow, not pausing in his long-strided walk. "Can a lion trust a snake?" He smirked once more before vanishing from sight.

"I take that as a no, then." Fred mumbled, shoving his twin in the direction the Slytherin had taken.

"Fine. Fine!" George exclaimed, flourishing like a hero about to embark on a deadly mission. "I'll go follow him, make sure he doesn't go getting us in trouble." He slouched off in much the same way as his younger brother walks, muttering darkly to himself. "Dunno how, though. Kid moves like a vampire."

They watched him until he disappeared around a corner. Draco let out an annoyed grumble, catching Harry's eyes.

"And you call me a manipulative bastard? Damn, Blaise is clever, probably too clever." Harry gave a half shrug, wanting to know what had been said. "He's beginning to think like I did at the graveyard." Draco hinted cryptically but Harry nodded in understanding.

Fred gave a small cough, catching his friends' attention. He pointed down the corridor to where a shadow was thrown across the floor, the outline of a cat silhouetted against the moonlight shining through a window. He grabbed the corner of a tapestry and gestured for the first years to hurry through the secret entrance before Mrs. Norris could catch them.

Before they knew it, they were standing outside the slightly ajar door that led to the third floor corridor.

"Looks like someone's already gone in." Draco murmured. He caught Harry's shoulder just as the younger boy was about to enter. "Wait. If anyone wants to turn back, I advise now as an extremely good time to do so." Nobody moved and he sighed, reaching into his pocket and drawing out the flute Severus had given him for Christmas. He placed it to his lips, picking a tune at random and letting the delicate melody fill the air. Barely pausing to breath he followed his Tutela into the room, the faint growls of Fluffy meeting his ears.

The huge dog rumbled loudly at their entrance, but already its three heads were beginning to droop. It tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

Harry stepped gingerly around its huge paws, locating the trapdoor and pulling it open with ease.

"What can you see?" Hermione asked from the other side of the room.

"Nothing. There's just black. There's no way of climbing down. We'll just have to drop." Without hesitation he jumped into the pit and out of sight.

Draco didn't get there in time. He thrust the flute at Neville as he passed him and threw himself onto the floor beside the trapdoor. Fluffy twitched and Neville hurried to continue playing the instrument.

"You bastard! Harry!" Draco yelled, full of panic. Even his inhuman eyes couldn't make out anything in the darkness. "Harry! Damn you, speak to me!"

"Dray," A voice called, sounding far in the distance. It rang again more clearly. "Dray, listen, I'm fine, it's a soft landing."

Fred crouched beside the blonde, placing a hand on his knee comfortingly. "I'll go next, alright? I'll tell you what's down there. I'll take Hermione with me too, she'll probably be better at explaining. You're a lot quicker than both of us, if we need help you'll be the best one to go and get it. Besides, can't let you two have all the fun." Ignoring Draco's protests he inched forward and swung down to join Harry. The Weasley looked around but couldn't see anything. He fumbled at the cushioning beneath him and shrugged, calling up to the small square of light that signalled the open trapdoor. "Yeah he's right, it's fine."

Hermione moved to sit at the lip of the hole, legs dangling into nothing. She shot Draco a reassuring smile. "Want me to give Harry a scolding from you?" She smiled once more but it didn't quite cover her nervous expression as she pushed forward and swung down. "Yeah, it's a soft landing, seems to be some sort of plant...I'm thinking a vine or a root. It's hard to tell, it's so dark down here, I can't see anything. We're all alright, though."

Draco turned to Neville, who was beginning to turn red from the continuous playing of the flute. "You okay?" Neville nodded as much as he could, thankful as Draco lifted his wand and began applying spells to the instrument, nodding after a moment. "Just leave it now."

Neville stepped away, letting out a relieved breath as the flute stayed in the air and music kept playing. "Okay, are we still going with what we agreed?"

"Yes. We need someone to keep watch, make sure we're not found out. You sure you're alright with that?" Neville nodded, sliding down the wall behind him, taking up his role as watchman and trying his best to keep the fear from his face. Draco nodded before he too disappeared through the trapdoor.

The blonde landed with a soft thud and wrinkled his nose in disgust. He pulled his arms up and away from the damp, thick, snake-like tendrils of the plant beneath him. "Why are we all sitting in the dark?" He asked the air, not being able to see where his friends were. He drew his wand, cast a _lumos_ and flicked it so the orb of light hung high above them.

"We must be miles under the school." Hermione murmured, blinking around the large stone chamber.

Suddenly, Draco felt the dark mass of vines he had landed on begin to move, sliding over his outstretched legs and twisting their way slowly up his body. He frantically searched for Harry and found that he was already tightly bound and starting to sink slightly. A quick glance and he realised the same thing was happening to all four of the students there.

"Look! It's trying to pull us under!" The Angel struggled, pulling at the thick plant but it seemed the more he tried to get away the stronger it clung on.

"Stop moving!" Hermione yelled, her words mostly aimed at Fred who was thrashing wildly. "Stay still and it will weaken; we won't go down as fast."

Harry spluttered as it wound around his chest, forcing the air from his lungs. "What is it?" He managed to gasp.

Fred had sunk the furthest, his strong arms still desperately trying to pull off the tendrils. After a moment he stopped, exhausted from his futile battle.

"What's going on, guys?" A distant voice called, and the light at the top of the chamber that came from beyond the trapdoor momentarily flickered as Neville tried to look down.

Draco leant forward, dragging Harry as close to him as was possible and managed to loosen the plant long enough for the smaller boy to breath. He felt the bruising pressure dissipate from his own torso and shouted up. "Neville, there's a plant down here. It's trying to pull us under!"

"I've never seen it before." Hermione looked to be on the edge of tears, not sure whether it was because she was terrified or because she had a gap in her impressive knowledge.

Harry and Draco both looked at her helplessly. They had no idea what it was either. Even Fred looked clueless.

"It's nothing we've ever come across in Herbology." The red-head said.

Hermione wiped her eyes, knowing there was only way out of this. "Neville! Go get Professor Sprout. Tell her there's this plant, probably a vine. It's black, about as thick as my arm."

There was a long silence where Draco was pulled further from Harry, his fingers still desperately clinging onto his shirt, and Fred dropped about a foot so he was now submerged up to his shoulders. Neville's excited voice suddenly cut through the air.

"I know what it is! Sprout taught me about it when I did extra work with her in the greenhouses! It's…it's…Merlin I forgot. Give me a moment, I know this!"

"We don't have a moment!" Fred yelled, feeling is leg slowly being twisted. Much longer and he knew it would break.

Neville bit his lip as similar cries rose up from the trapdoor. He tried to think but panic was making it impossible. What was it…what was it…

Rubbing his face, Neville closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Right so it was pulling them…a vine, a pulling vine…a trapping vine. A snare!

"The plant, it's a snare!"

"Not helpful, Nev!" Came the slightly muffled reply of Harry.

"Get a bloody professor already!" Fred yelled.

Neville shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "No, no, it's…black. Black – demon...no. It's Devil's Snare! It likes dark and damp environments – light a fire!"

"Yes, of course...but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

"Have you gone mad?" Fred bellowed. He took a breath, knowing he sounded way too much like his youngest brother when frustrated. "Are you a witch or not?"

The witch pulled out her wand, aiming it at the closest tendril and firing a jet of bluebell flames. In a matter of seconds, the four friends felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free.

Draco caught Harry as his Tutela stumbled and was about to take a nose-dive onto the hard, stone, now empty chamber floor. "You okay?" He asked tenderly, brushing his fingers lightly over the brunette's chest and being able to feel the sting of the deep bruises on his own body.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He fixed the blonde with a hard look. "No, this doesn't warrant being dangerous enough to turn back. For me anyway. For you, feel free." He ignored the half-hearted glare he got in response. "This way." He said, pointing down a stone passageway that was the only way on.

They set off, arms intertwined, not noticing the two behind them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you earlier." Fred spoke as apologetically as he could, extending a hand down to Hermione to help her up from where she was resting on the floor.

The Ravenclaw smiled slightly, grasping the hand and allowing him to help her up as a sign of acceptance. "I don't know what I was thinking; I guess I turn into an emotional wreck when I'm scared. I blame the muggle blood in me."

"Hey, chin-up, don't think like that." He slung an arm over her shoulder, dragging her forward until they caught up with their other friends. He didn't bother letting her go, he could feel through their thin school shirts how cold the girl had grown in the freezing temperatures under the school. "Besides, without you we'd all be toast, you're the only one that's done enough revision on charms to remember how to cast those flames. Brain box." He teased with a smile. He looked up as Draco spoke up.

"Guys, can you hear that?" The blonde murmured, nodding down the path they were headed. He cocked his head, sensitive ears picking up a faint rustling and clicking sound.

A few steps later and the others could hear it too. Harry slowed in his brisk pace, trying to decipher the quiet noise.

"Do you think it's a ghost?"

Draco shrugged and the group continued in silence, reaching the end of the passageway and emerging into a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It seemed to be full of small, jewel-bright birds and a heavy, wooden door stood at the other side of the room.

"I think it's another security system in place for the Stone." Hermione said. "They might attack us if we try to cross the room."

Harry shrugged, sniffing delicately in a way that reminded them all of Draco. "Probably. They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swoop down at once...Well there's nothing for it...I'll run." He took a deep breath, covering his face but a firm grip on his shoulder prevented him from running off.

"Not. A. Fucking. Chance." His Angel ground out, his eyes hardening with every word. "You will stay here and you will not move a muscle." He expected the pout Harry gave him in return for his concern and cuffed him lightly over the back of the head before ducking and sprinting to the door.

Instead of being attacked with sharp beaks and claws he crossed the room unscathed. He pulled on the handle but it wouldn't budge, not even when the others joined him and Hermione cast an Alohomora charm.

"Now what?" Fred asked, scratching the back of his head and gazing up at the birds.

Harry followed his gaze, remembering the way the Golden Snitch looked in the sun as he watched the glittering birds – Glittering?

"They're not birds! They're keys! Winged keys. Look carefully. So that must mean..." For the first time his eyes took in the broomsticks propped against the wall and he pointed. "We've got to catch the key to the door."

Hermione dropped to her knees, scrutinizing the lock in the door. "It'll match this; big, old-fashioned, silver."

There were three broomsticks and three members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They each seized a broom, kicking off into the air in almost perfect synchronisation. They clutched at the air in futile attempts at grabbing the keys but they moved too fast, it was almost impossible to catch one. Hermione stayed on the ground, hopelessly trying to spot one key amongst a cloud of hundreds.

Harry darted around the room, falling into Seeker mode automatically. After a minute's weaving about in the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.

"Dray there! Yeah that's the one!"

Both friends sped towards it but it dodged them, sweeping beneath their brooms. By now Fred also had seen it and he rushed towards it, but again it managed to stay out of his reach.

"We've got to close in on it." Harry called to the others. He saw Draco from the corner of his eye, the older boy moving to hover above the key, already knowing the plan Harry was forming in his head before even he did. The brunette looked to Fred who was waiting for instruction. "Come from below and I'll try to catch it. Three...two..."

Draco dived, Fred rocketed upward, the key whizzed past them both as predicted and Harry streaked after it. It sped towards the wall and Harry leant forward, heading towards the cold stone at full pelt. At the last moment he threw himself from his broom, clasping the key and drawing it to his chest as he pushed off of the wall and curled into a ball, falling towards the ground in a clumsy backwards somersault.

With a shout Draco sped up on his downward path, overtaking his Tutela and grabbing him tightly, the momentum ripping him from his own broom. He knew he had about thirty feet's freefalling time to somehow manoeuvre them into as safe a position as possible. They impacted with a bone shattering force, Draco's back the first thing to hit the ground. He fought to keep himself curled around Harry, breaking the smaller boy's fall. The breath was forced from his lungs and they both gasped, sprawling out on the floor, Harry still fully on top of his Angel.

"Harry?" Draco murmured softly. He could feel on his own stomach where his grasp on the other boy had more than likely caused bruises. There was also an uncomfortable stinging on his cheek.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

There was a pause for a moment and Draco could tell Harry was fighting the urge to lie. "...No."

Gently, Draco wrapped his arms back around him, rolling them over slightly and managing to sit up without jostling the other too much. Despite his care a sharp pain ran through his side. Hermione rushed to them but stopped a few feet away, not sure what to do. Fred began to circle the room, slowly spiralling down to the floor, also keeping his distance. He told himself that Draco knew what he was doing. He always seemed to know what he was doing whenever they were hurt.

"Your rib's cracked." The blonde stated, keeping his voice low enough that only Harry could hear him. Drawing his wand he cast the necessary charm, gritting his own teeth at the pain of feeling the bone heal. He placed a hand lightly on the other's face and cupped his cheek, running a thumb around a large graze. "I think you got a fabric burn. Must have rubbed against my cloak." Another spell and the slight swelling disappeared and the broken skin faded to a pale pink. Harry breathed deeply in relief and both boys felt a sharp ach in their stomachs. "You stabbed yourself with the key." He pulled Harry's hands away, seeing where the key was still clutched protectively to him. In the fall it had been pressed hard into his abdomen. "I don't know a charm for that one. Sorry."

Harry smiled, rubbing a finger over the worry lines on Draco's forehead, smoothing them out. Draco offered him a small smile and helped him stand, noting with relief that the pain in his stomach was starting to ease.

"Now that you're all healed..." Draco suddenly reached out, dragging the younger boy down into a headlock and catching hold of his ear, holding it tightly in threat of severe pain. "You listen to me or this won't stay attached to your head. Never. Do. That. Again. How many times do I have to tell you to think? How many times do you think you can punch danger in the face before it retaliates and you truly get hurt?" he sighed, letting him go and ruffling his jet-black hair before grabbing his tan hands. He placed them on Harry's chest so they could both feel Draco's racing heart next to Harry's comparatively steady beat. "Feel that? That's you giving me a bloody heart attack." All he got in return was sheepish grin.

"Guys, you okay?" Fred landed, running towards them as soon as his feet touched the ground. Seeing his friends up and relatively unscathed, he thought it time to envelope them both in a huge bear hug. "Quite a fall you took there."

"What happened?" Hermione came forward, reassured that they were okay.

"Just...Harry being an idiot. We're fine." Draco rushed his words, wanting to drop the subject.

Fred scratched the back of his head disbelievingly. "Look, I know I'm not that smart but I know what I saw. By all rights you shouldn't be able to move right now Draco, you took the worst of that fall and yet you were up a moment later. Even George and I have never taken a fall like that."

Harry could tell Draco was growing increasingly frustrated and decided to draw the questioning gazes away from the blonde. "Look, we've practiced falling off and from things so often...we just knew what we were doing is all. Alright? We're tougher than we look, let's leave it at that. Please?"

Fred looked like he was about to protest but a stern look from Hermione had him pouting moodily at the floor. "Okay. Just as long as you're both okay."

Draco sighed deeply, nodding his head with a small, thankful smile. He crossed the room, placing his pale hand on the old silver doorknob that would lead them from the room. With one last look to his friends he twisted the handle, stepping through to the next room, letting out a gasp at the magnificent sight before him.

…

_**TBC  
><strong>__**Onyx Claws~#**_


	18. Potions and pain

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**Beta-ed by the wonderful _**_**LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.  
><strong>_**_**_

_**_**_**Hey guys, I'm back again, and this time have an extremely long chapter (6,999 words, 'cause I'm cool like that) for all you pretties, as an apology present for being such a lazy-arse and not updating sooner.**_**_**_

_**_**_**So, this chapter is CRUCIAL for plot development, it's one of the most important chapters yet, so I would recommend you settle down somewhere nice and calm, maybe with a mug of hot chocolate, and really pay attention to this one. I must say I'm rather proud of this installment, so I hope you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**_**_**_

_**_**_**As for my usual 'reasons why I'm a lazy, slow updater' ramble, it's exam season...again...yeah, it's constantly exam season. I also caught that vomiting bug, which didn't mix well with my shockingly awful immune system and all my other illnesses, so I was bedridden/stuck with my head over a toilet bowl for about 3 weeks. That's about it really...oh, and my life currently revolves around MyFitnessPal, it's so addictive, so if any of you lovely people are on there and want to add me, I'm called **_**_**_******JustAnotherOneOfThoseGirls _(all joined up) and with the friends request leave a message mentioning something about FanFiction, Onyx Claws, etc._******

******_Anyway, enough from me...please enjoy..._******

...

They were standing at the edge of a giant chessboard, behind a chessman that was taller than even Fred and looked to be carved from black stone. Across the chamber stood the white pieces, gazing at the students with faceless stares.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"I think we have to play our way across the room, see the door on the other side?" Draco pointed and the others could just make out a simple wooden door behind the army of white.

Fred reached out, touching a hand lightly on the horse of the black knight. At once the stone sprang to life, sending the boy tumbling back.

"D-Do we have to…to join you to cross?" Hermione stuttered, not able to stop fear shaking her voice.

The knight turned its helmeted head to look down at her, giving a single nod.

Hermione returned to her friends, casting her eyes to the ground, feeling helpless, "I'm not very good at chess, I wouldn't know what to do."

Harry shook his head but didn't say anything; the group already knew how bad he was at the game. Fred also bowed his head.

"Sorry, guys, I'm no use either." The redhead murmured.

Draco was lost in thought, staring at the white pieces. "This board would have been spelled to do everything possible to win; it's going to be very difficult to beat it. I'm good at chess but I doubt I'm good enough. It pains me to say it but if I can be beaten by Ron Weasley, I stand no chance against this board."

"Draco, you're a genius!" Fred exploded, a gleeful look in his eyes. "You're right; Ron's the best chess player in Gryffindor, Merlin, probably the school! Mum gave all us kids two-way mirrors so we can reach each other in emergencies; I bet I could get him to help us."

He pulled a small, old, compact style mirror from his pocket, tapping it with his wand. A moment later it gave a small vibration in response and Fred looked down into the surface, straight into the moody eyes of his younger brother.

"What d'ya want?" A whiny voice rang from the mirror, unmistakably belonging to Ron. "It's what, midnight? Whoever you're after, they're not here; they've either gone to the dorms or seem to have disappeared along with you and…the other twin."

Secretly pleased that his own brother couldn't tell him and George apart, he shook his head. "You're talking a la Fred." He caught Draco's wince and stuck his tongue out at the French boy before answering Ron. "No, darling little brother, we were after your delightful self." Fred spoke in a sickly sweet voice that reminded everyone of Lavender Brown. "You see, I'm playing a really important chess game, it's crucial that I win."

A scoffing sound could be heard from the compact. "So you want my help? You think I'd help you after everything you've done to me? You can fuck off."

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Draco reached a hand out to take the mirror and smirked down at the redhead in it. "Oh, but you see, Weasley, me and your brothers have been playing chess all evening, and at the moment I'm three games up on them. Out of the kindness of my heart I'm allowing them to ask you for help…but if you're scared that three Weasleys can't beat one Malfoy…" He trailed off with another trademark smirk and handed the mirror back to Fred.

The older Weasley mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the blonde and looked expectantly at his brother who had begun to splutter.

"There's no way I can let him beat you again! I can't believe…no we'll win this." Ron rambled. "Can he hear me now?" Fred shook his head, knowing he had to keep up the act. "So-"

"Wait, before we begin, I need to let you know that there's been some…rule changes. We need to make four of our pieces special, as in they're our main pieces, you follow? We're also black this round."

Ron was silent for a moment but Fred saw him give a slow nod in the reflection. "…Okay…then for what I'm planning, mark a bishop, castle and knight. Also the queen, she's very important."

Hermione walked over to the castle, jumping a little as it turned its back to the white pieces and left the board. Harry soon replaced a bishop and Fred took the place of a knight. Draco shrugged and took the only position left, stepping up onto the board as the black queen left. Once they were all in their squares, a white pawn moved forward, starting the match.

Ron started to direct the black pieces and Fred called aloud the instructions, feeding each white move back to his brother who then formulated a counter attack. The others stood in silence, too afraid to break the concentration. Despite their strong dislike for the youngest Weasley son, everyone in the room had to admit that he had a lot of skill when it came to this game. They seemed to be in the lead, the white piece numbers slowly declining as they stormed across the board.

The first real shock came when their other black knight was taken. He was smashed to the floor and dragged off by the white queen in a pile of unmoving rubble. The students watched, shaken, but knew it was necessary.

"Now, Hermione, you're free to take that bishop." Fred murmured weakly.

A while later and their early luck seemed to be wearing thin. A huddle of broken black players slumped along the wall and several times Ron lost track of his 'special' pieces and was only just in time to save them from danger.

"We're nearly there!" Ron practically shouted. His excitement at the thought of beating Draco was a stark contrast to the terror on the faces of the students acting as human chessmen. "Yes! It's the only way; you've got to let your special knight be taken."

The friends stared at each other in horror, all eyes landing on Fred. The older boy gulped, letting out a quiet whisper. "Is…is there no other way? Thi-this piece is very important."

"Guys!" Ron laughed, still believing he was aiding both twins in a friendly board game. "You're taking this way too seriously. I know it's Malfoy, but come on, it's just chess!" Ron's cheerful manner was like a slap in the face to the panic slowly filling the room. "You've got to make some sacrifices! Your knight'll be taken but that leaves the special bishop to checkmate the king!"

Fred held the mirror down a moment so his brother couldn't overhear him. "I've got to do it, he's right, it's the only way."

"But Fred-" Hermione cried out, tears beginning to run down her face.

"Do you want to get to the Stone or not?" He held up a hand to silence anyone else who might protest and lifted the mirror again. "Thanks, Ron, you've been a real help. I appreciate it." He tapped it once again with his wand, putting it away before Ron had a chance to reply.

He stepped forward and the white queen attacked. She struck Fred hard around the head with her stone arm, sending him crashing to the floor. Hermione screamed out but remained in her square when Draco yelled for her to stay. The queen hauled Fred roughly to one side, his unconsciousness body dragging limply along the ground.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Harry moved three places to the left.

The white king removed his crown, throwing it to the brunette's feet. The chessmen parted with a bow, allowing them a clear path to the door.

But Hermione ran in the opposite direction, throwing herself down by where Fred lay in a heap amongst bits of rubble from their other fallen pieces. She looked up pleadingly to Harry and Draco.

"We can't just leave him here!" She sounded nearly hysterical.

"But we need as many people as possible to go ahead, I can't even guess at what might be coming up next." Harry argued, hating the thought of leaving his friend but knowing it was the best thing to do.

"No, Harry." Draco murmured softly, coming up behind the smaller boy and wrapping his arms around him, tightening his embrace as he felt Harry trembling against him. He leant forward, whispering into his ear. "Look at her; she's in no state to continue. It'd be wrong to make her carry on when she could stay here and tend to Fred. It's the best thing for Fred, and it'll keep her safe. We've always said that we'd minimize the danger for the others as much as possible, right?"

Harry put his hands over the blonde's forearms, nuzzling his cheek against Draco's almost instinctively. "You're right, I wasn't thinking. We'll be okay, you and me, there's no reason to put her in anymore danger." He didn't sound convincing even to his own ears, but he knew it was right.

Hermione was clearing the area around Fred, getting ready to put him into the recovery position that she'd made Draco teach her after watching him put Harry in it after a bad hit from a bludger in the last Quidditch practice. She looked up as Harry called to her.

"Hermione, we must leave him here, but of course we can't leave him alone. Stay and look after him? Dray and I will go on."

The clever witch looked torn between wanting to help her injured friend and wanting to follow Draco and Harry. Finally she let out a sigh, turning back to Fred, rechecking his pulse and breathing. "Yes. Okay. But promise me you'll shout if you need help." She saw them nod from the corner of her eye and turned to fix them with a serious look, making sure they were listening to her. "Look after each other." Another set of nods and she offered the boys a weak smile. "Now, go on, go get that Stone and come back in one piece."

Harry and Draco nodded once more before walking away from her, passing through the door out of the room and closing it behind them.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils and Harry pulled his shirt collar up to cover his nose. Draco fought against ingrained habit and stopped breathing, knowing he could survive without it. Flat out on the floor lay a troll even larger than the one they had tackled in the girls' bathroom, a bloody lump on its head.

"This must be Quirrell's layer of security." Draco murmured with the little air left in his lungs.

"Yeah, Sprout's was the Devil's Snare, Flitwick must've put charms on those keys. McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive. So that leaves Snape's."

Delicately stepping over one of the troll's legs, they made it to the next door. With a nervous glance to each other, they pushed it open.

Inside, a simple wooden table stood with seven different shaped bottles on top in a line. As soon as the two students took another step into the room, purple flames sprang up behind them, blocking the exit. Black flames shot up in the doorway leading onwards. They were trapped.

Harry spotted a scroll of paper lying next to the bottles and seized it as Draco moved to examine the bottles.

"It's a riddle," Harry said, green eyes scanning the swirling handwriting and clouding in confusion. "I think we need to solve it to pass through."

Draco pulled each stopper from its bottle, giving each container a deep sniff. Immediately two were dismissed and pushed away. "They're nettle wine." He whispered to himself.

"Look, don't you think we should try and solve this?" The brunette asked, waving the parchment as he walked over to join his friend.

"This is quicker." Draco pulled a face, throwing one of the bottles to the ground where it instantly shattered. "Acromantula venom."

Harry ignored him, reading through the riddle once more. "You're right; two are nettle wine...three killers, one helps you move ahead and the last takes you back." He couldn't tell whether Draco was actually listening to him.

After a minute or so, the Angel was left with just three bottles. He dipped a finger into each in turn, bringing a small amount to his lips and darting his tongue out to taste the substances. One bottle was set back on the table, another handed to Harry and the last he kept for himself. He gave Harry a small smile, drawing him into a tight embrace before letting him go and stepping away.

"The bottle you hold will transport you back to the first room."

Before Harry could even register his words, the blonde turned and sprinted, gulping a mouthful of the potion he held as he ran, throwing the bottle away as he vanished into the black fire.

"No!" Harry yelled, diving to the floor, a hand outstretched. The thrown bottle landed in his palm, the leftover contents spilling over his shirt sleeve. Panting, he sat up, bringing the wet material to his mouth and desperately trying to suck out some of the potion.

Praying it was enough, he battled his want to get to his best friend as soon as possible and cautiously stretched an arm out into the flames. Letting out a shuddering breath as he remained unharmed, he stepped the rest of the way into the next room.

Harry held in a gasp as he took in the sight before him. Quirrell was in the centre of a large, dim room, crouching defensively, wand out, an arm protectively over his turbaned head. He darted around, turning this way and that as bolts of light mercilessly rained down upon him from every direction. Harry backed slowly into a shadowy corner, remaining unseen. He gazed to the ceiling, the source of the attack, trying to pinpoint what it was.

A blur caught his eye and he could just make out a lithe figure surrounded by huge wings, only visible due to the light of the spells it continuously cast as it circled above its victim.

Despite his blindness to his attacker, Quirrell was still able to fend off many of the spells. Suddenly something flashed across his face and his eyes drained of fear to be replaced with a cold determination. He raised his wand, following Draco's every movement with it until he had a clear shot.

Draco fell to the ground with a thud, body bound by thick ropes. Somehow he'd managed to retract his wings before becoming completely visible to the professor. The Angel got to his knees, screeching inhumanly as he struggled against his restraints.

Harry ran to him, uncaring about staying hidden, casting the strongest defence charm he knew around them both. He didn't notice as Quirrell lowered his wand.

Draco swung his focus from the Defence teacher to his Tutela, not shielding the white hot anger in his eyes. His sharp, pale features seemed to be carved out of living marble. Harry let out a gasp and the silver eyes widened and slowly softened as Draco registered who was beside him.

"I told you to leave."

"You also told me we would do this together."

Draco shuffled forward, effectively putting himself directly between Harry and Quirrell. He kept Harry on his blind side and the Professor in his line of sight, not trusting his sudden stillness. "And you promised me you'd leave if it got too dangerous."

The younger boy opened his mouth to reply but was quickly cut off by Quirrell.

"I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. Your little guard dog was a surprise, but you're too nosy to live."

His arm darted and Harry leapt to his feet, narrowly missing a spell, only to dive and roll to avoid others. After several near misses, a charm finally hit its target and the Gryffindor lay bound on the floor by the same spell that held Draco. The Angel let out a low growl, once again trying to break free.

Ignoring them both, Quirrell turned. "Now wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror." For the first time Harry noticed the Mirror of Erised.

Harry met Draco's eyes as the man continued to ramble about finding the Philosopher's Stone with the Mirror and how he'd make his escape long before Dumbledore's return. They both knew they needed to keep him talking and stop him concentrating on the Mirror.

"Snape always knew it was you." Draco ground out, not knowing whether he was making a statement or a threat.

"Yes. Saving the boy with counter-curses at the Quidditch match, making me meet with him in the Forrest…" He broke off, circling the Mirror as if expecting the Stone to just appear. "He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me – as if he could, when I have Lord Voldemort on my side…"

Quirrell came back out from behind the Mirror, staring hungrily into it. "I see the Stone…I'm presenting it to my master…but where is it?"

Harry heard Draco give a soft grunt as he grabbed the rope behind his back with both hands, putting all his strength into pulling at it. After a second it gave, tearing apart. The blonde kept hold of both ends of the rope, hands behind his back to disguise his freedom. Quirrell continued talking to himself, oblivious.

"Sometimes I find it hard to follow my master's instructions…he is a great wizard and I am weak."

"You meet with him often?" Harry asked, once again taking the man's attention from the Mirror. He only half listened as Quirrell told a sorrowful tale of power and how privileged he was to have an awe-inspiring, wisdom filled master. He looked back up to him as his voice took on a new tone.

"I don't understand…is the Stone _inside _the Mirror? Should I break it?"

Draco knew they had to get to the Stone before Quirrell. At that moment, his main priority was getting his Tutela to safety, but Harry was different; all Harry would want is to get the Stone. So, if he got Harry in front of the Mirror, would it show him his desire? Would it show him where the Stone was?

The Angel flicked his eyes to Harry and nodded slightly to the Mirror of Erised but one look at his friend and he knew he had the same idea. Harry tried to shuffle forward but his tight bonds proved his efforts futile. A sudden outburst from Quirrell had both boys gazing up at him.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

The students filled with ice cold terror as a voice answered the desperate plea, seeming to come from Quirrell himself.

"Use the boy…Use the boy…"

Quirrell rounded on Harry, the closest person to him due to his frantic pacing around the room. "Yes. Potter, come here." He clapped his hands and the ropes fell to the ground, allowing the small boy to clamber to his feet. "Look into the Mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry saw his reflection, pale and scared, and for a moment he thought the mirror had stopped working. But then the image smiled at him, reaching into its pocket and pulling out a blood red stone. It winked and put the Stone back into its pocket, and as it did, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow, incredibly_, he'd got the Stone_.

He was about to turn away when something caught his eye. He could see Draco in the reflection, kneeling on the ground. Behind him stood the ethereal figure of Gabriel in the same black outfit and mask he'd worn before. The dark Angel put a gloved finger against its lips and motioned to the boy at its feet. A moment later and it had joined Harry by the Mirror. It lifted a hand, pressing it delicately against the Mirror and motioning back at Draco once more. Harry gave the slightest nod, showing he understood, and the reflection vanished.

Draco was studying every part of his Tutela throughout this, waiting for any change, any flicker of emotion, anything. His good eye zoned in on the fabric of Harry's trouser pocket as it bulged. Instantly he realized what had happened. He expected Harry to turn back to Quirrell but watched as his attention instead focused to a spot seemingly above Draco's own head. A moment later the brunette gave a barely visible nod. Draco frowned in confusion as Harry finally spoke to the Professor.

"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor." Harry lied flawlessly. He'd learned a lot from his manipulative friend.

"He lies…he lies…" The same voice that had given Quirrell orders spoke again. Like the first time, it seemed to come from the professor, even though the man hadn't moved his lips. "Let me speak to him…face to face…"

The boys stared as Quirrell appeared to have a conversation with himself, their terror growing with every word.

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough…for this…"

Quirrell slowly reached up and began to unwind his ever-present turban. The material fell away and he turned slowly on the spot.

Draco let out a howl, standing in one fluid movement, rope pooling around his feet. He took a defensive pose in front of his Tutela, all humanness gone from his face as he adopted a completely blank expression.

Harry couldn't move. He couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been the back of Quirrell's head was a face, the most terrible face he'd ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Harry Potter." It whispered. "And the dear young master Malfoy." It whispered coldly. "You treacherous bastard. Playing Dumbledore's bitch now, are you?"

Draco spat at the feet of the thing Voldemort had become. The poor excuse for a man went as if to hit him but stopped, knowing the movement was impossible.

"How do you think your father will react to hearing his son act in such vulgar manners?"

"He is not my father and I am not his son."

Voldemort gave a raspy chuckle. "No, you had to pay for your betrayal, didn't you?" Voldemort flexed the arms of the body he was possessing, testing his control. "If you had only stayed loyal, it could've been you stood here now. I always wanted my insider at Hogwarts to be a student, but alas, I had to settle for this."

"What, being a sticker?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Voldemort raged, crimson eyes flashing. "Even though my body was in a weakened state, I still had the power to disassociate from it and possess another. You should be awed."

"I would be, but I noticed your use of the past tense. It killed you, didn't it?" Draco smirked as Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Don't you think I recognize dark spells gone wrong? You were possessing Quirrell throughout the year, weren't you? That takes a lot of energy. More energy than your pathetically weak body could take. You were left barely alive after your confrontation with a _baby_," he gestured to Harry, "And never quite recovered since." He wondered why Voldemort looked surprised that he knew the incident in so much detail but cast the thought aside. "So, what? Your body was drained, physically and magically, from all the possession spells and just...gave up. It died on you and you were forced to latch onto Quirrell permanently to survive. Yes, quite pathetic."

Voldemort let out a cry of anger, spinning so he could aim Quirrell's arm at the young boy then turning back to enjoy the effects of his _crucio _curse.

Draco shrugged as the green light hit him and disappeared, not having any effect on him at all. He gave Voldemort a sickly sweet smile. "How does it feel to know I'm stronger than you?"

"You may have the upper hand physically, but you're intelligence is severely lacking. Quite disappointing, for someone who should be a Ravenclaw." Voldemort returned his smile, an eerie twist of lips on a distorted face. "I still don't know what you are. You came back to life. One day I will make you tell me how, but for now I have other priorities. I didn't know how _crucio _would affect you, so I cast a second, silent spell as a backup. Do you like it?"

Draco glanced to Harry, who was slowly edging to the doorway, and after being reassured he was still safe he checked himself over for spells. He went to raise an arm but it hit against an invisible barrier. Eyes wide, he felt around him, realizing with horror that he was trapped in a circular, invisible prison, barely two feet wide. He thumped a fist against it but it wouldn't give.

Voldemort cackled maniacally, walking backwards towards Harry so that he was always in his line of sight. "Don't think I have forgotten about you, boy." He watched as Harry surged towards the door and sent a spell to trip him, laughing as the boy's head cracked audibly against the stone floor. "Don't be a fool. Better save your own life and join me."

"Never!" Harry yelled and got dizzily back to his feet, watching as Draco instinctively touched the back of his own head with a wince.

Quirrell's wand once again sent the brunette crashing to the ground and Harry fell silent as Draco let out a scream, hitting at his enclosure again, the dull thuds from his impacting fists filling the room. He refused to look up as he felt Voldemort land a kick into his Tutela's rib cage, instead letting the pain and anger fuel his strength. He felt the invisible wall begin to tremble under his continuous attack.

Voldemort faced away from Harry so that he could deliver another bone shattering kick to the boy's side. He kicked again and again until he could no longer hear Harry's laboured breathing. He turned back around, looking down at the student with dangerous crimson eyes that did little to hide the insanity of their owner. He blinked in surprise as large green eyes just stared up at him, completely emotionless behind their lenses.

"Fuck you." Harry managed to grind out. His whole torso felt like it was on fire and his vision was growing darker with each agonising breath. He registered another animalistic cry from his Angel, but his mind couldn't focus itself and any thought of trying to look over to him quickly passed.

Draco howled, feeling something snap inside him. Ice coursed through his veins while his skin burned deliciously. Everything was heightened; he could hear every heartbeat in the room, smell hatred and pain hanging in the air. He could no longer see colours; his world was made up of greys, like an old movie. Only Harry was different, the boy shone a pure, brilliant white. He raised a hand to start hitting at the barrier again but noticed a dark mist swirling around his clenched fist. Without really knowing what he was doing, he pressed his palms against the wall of his prison, curling his fingers and digging his nails into the solid surface. His nails lengthened, sharpening into long, strong claws and he tore the barrier apart in one swift movement. Huge, feathered wings sprung from his shoulders. He felt something cling to his body, eyes widening when he took in his outfit, a grey copy of the one Gabriel wore. He flicked the hood up to hide his hair and eyes but knew the rest of his face would be visible.

"Now give me the Stone, so your death isn't completely in vain." Voldemort demanded loudly, unaware of everything that was happening behind his back.

Harry remained crumpled on the ground but a small, relieved smile began tugging at his lips. A bark of laughter escaped his mouth. "Your threats mean nothing; you'll find it's _you_who will be dying."

Draco stretched out, arching his back and flexing his arms in front of him, muscles straining to an almost painful level. He felt like he was in a new, stronger, powerful body and he loved it. His joints cracked as he returned to a more natural pose, the sound causing Voldemort to turn in his direction. He ran a pink tongue along his top lip before biting the lower with a small toss of his head.

"Surprise." The Angel whispered, sending a gloved fist straight into Voldemort's unsuspecting face, the strange, wispy mist around his hand seeming to add to his already increased strength. The ugly head snapped back with the force and the body fell to the ground.

"Wh-Who are...you?" he stuttered out, wiping a hand across his bloodied face.

"I'm Harry's-" He was about the add 'Guardian Angel' to the end of his sentence but stopped himself, wanting to keep Voldemort in the dark as much as possible. He pulled his hood lower, making sure his identity stayed unknown. "I'm Harry's, and also the last person on this Earth you want to piss off." He rolled his shoulders and they cracked with the movement, his muscles still felt tight, almost raw.

In his dazed state, Voldemort was easily distracted by the mention of the young Gryffindor and Draco watched as the man dragged himself across the floor, closer to Harry. "Give...give me the...S-Stone." Suddenly, he darted a hand out, grabbing hold of Harry's bare arm.

Draco was about to launch himself at him but came to a jolting halt when both of the people before him screamed.

Harry felt a searing pain course through his mind, like someone had pressed a red hot poker against his scar. His body rebelled against the strenuous use of his lungs, his battered and broken frame curling up even tighter, only the arm previously in Quirrell's hand was outstretched. He forced his body to relax when he saw Voldemort, an impulsive plan forming in his agonised mind.

Voldemort recoiled, whimpering as he drew his hands into himself. He stared down at the blistering, charred flesh on his palms. He didn't notice the boy beside him sitting up until tan hands were pressed against his sickly pale face. He cried out, face melting under some invisible burning power.

"Gabriel wants you." Harry choked out, and with a final burst of strength he latched onto Quirrell's arm, clinging on until he no longer could. He fell into unconsciousness, slumping heavily to the ground.

Seeing that Voldemort also wouldn't be moving anytime soon, Draco quickly checked his Tutela's breathing and pulse. Satisfied he would be okay for a moment, he unwillingly moved away from him, cursing Gabriel for taking him away from Harry when all he wanted to do was care for his friend. He turned to the Mirror of Erised, peeling the gray glove from his right hand and placing it against the cool surface.

Gabriel appeared in the surface, replacing Draco's reflection, covered from head to foot in his usual black attire. Where its palm met Draco's its fingers slowly rose out of the surface of the Mirror, twining its fingers with the blonde's. Draco stepped back, helping it step through the Mirror before dropping its hand.

Silently, they made their way across the room. Voldemort could only stare as two synchronised Angels came to a stop beside him, momentarily forgetting his pain.

"Say your prayers." Draco whispered, bringing his hands before him in a traditional prayer position before fluidly dropping into a low crouch, both hands splaying out across Quirrell's back. He forced the dark mist still gathered around his hands into the body, feeling the man jerk as the strange force coursed into him. His blood red eyes rolled back and an air of calm seemed to pass over him, a sign that the man was now no more than a corpse, an empty shell.

Gabriel knelt beside Harry, gloved fingertips brushing delicately over his handsome face, swiping a stray lock of hair out of the way, tucking it behind an ear. "He'll be fine, nothing he, or you for that matter, can't handle." Its hand trailed further down his body, over a muscled chest and a hard, flat stomach, detecting each bruise and broken bone. The hand continued its explorations, travelling sideways to reach into the boy's trouser pocket. Gabriel pulled out a blood red stone, letting out an almost pained breath. It was about the size of a fist and had an awfully familiar shape.

The black Angel leant down, placing a kiss on Harry's forehead with its masked lips before standing. With its free hand it reached out, cupping the side of Draco's face and tilting his head up, momentarily ripping Draco's gaze from his Tutela. "You've done well, dear Draco."

Draco smiled at Gabriel's usual pet name, unconsciously leaning into its hand, suddenly feeling completely exhausted.

"I'll visit you in...thirty two hours." It moved its hand to press a finger against Draco's lips. "And yes, I'll explain everything." Gabriel snapped its fingers and the other Angel was once again back in his school robes. "And no, you can't keep the uniform."

Almost automatically, Draco's dove grey wings retracted. His body slowly returned back to its more familiar form, colour seeping back into his vision as his muscles finally relaxed, growing leaner.

Draco closed his eyes as the masked Angel placed a cold kiss to his forehead and watched as it turned, stepping back through the Mirror and vanishing. As it disappeared, a single long, grey glove fell into Draco's lap and he couldn't help but smile weakly at the sentiment as he pocketed it.

With a grim determination, the blonde turned and rushed to Harry, throwing himself down at his feet. He raised his wand, the spells flowing from his mouth like a well rehearsed script. Bones began to knit back together and Harry's breathing came easier. Draco didn't even notice the pain of the healing spells as he normally would; he was too focused on making sure his Harry was going to be alright. He stopped casting after performing the basic spells. As much as he wanted to fix every tiny wound on his Tutela's body, he didn't know how much the weakened boy could take, so forced himself to settle on making sure nothing was broken and giving him a simple pain relief charm that would at least numb some of the agony.

He gathered Harry close to him, drawing him across his lap and clutching his body to his chest. A tear rolled down his pale face as he stared down at the limp frame, finally allowing his distress and utter sadness take him. The tear came to a halt at the tip of his sharp chin, almost taunting him before falling onto the tan face below, streaking a dark path through the fine dust coating Harry.

Once the fist treacherous tear had fallen, Draco could no longer keep his control. He sobbed into the mess of black hair, pulling Harry impossibly closer, clinging onto him for dear life. He pressed his lips to the crown of Harry's head, whispering quiet reassurances against his warm skin, not even knowing if his best friend could hear him. "It'll be okay...we're alright, we did it. It's over."

He didn't know how long they stayed like that but after a while, the tears just...stopped. He dragged a hand over his pale face, pulling his mind back together. He placed another kiss on Harry's head, the last of several. He found the sign of affection strangely comforting, feeling that Harry was still warm against him, and hoped that if the younger boy couldn't hear his murmured words, he would be able to feel the contact and know that Draco was there, and that he cared.

Shifting his weight to keep Harry as comfortable as possible, he slipped his arms underneath the smaller boy, lifting him bridal style as he rose to his feet. Slowly, he made his way through the room, keeping his head bowed, eyes always glued to Harry, who was still unconscious. He registered Quirrell sprawled out on the floor, unmoving, vicious burn marks covering his body from wherever Harry had touched him. He was tempted to give the body a kick as he passed but couldn't bring himself to perform such a pathetic act of vengeance. Besides, the man was clearly dead.

Stepping back into the other room, he was glad to see the flames had died down some time ago. He swiftly moved through the room and the next, heading back towards the chessboard.

Hermione was slumped against the hard stone wall, eyes closed. Fred was splayed out on the floor, head in the witch's lap. He was awake now, his hand tracing faint patterns over Hermione's hand which lay on top his chest. Both were clearly exhausted and emotionally drained. Fred was sporting many dark bruises, as well as several deep cuts and scrapes. They looked like survivors of a devastating war, two warriors that had been through too much in too little time.

Hermione's eyes flickered open as she heard footsteps heading in their direction. She gasped, choking back a sob as she watched a powerful looking boy carrying another in his arms, although this one was out cold, covered in wounds and looking completely broken. She went to get up but stopped when Draco shook his head at her, the look on his face breaking her heart. She had never seen someone in so much anguish before. He looked like his entire world was crumbling around him, like the most important person in his life was on their deathbed. Her eyes flickered involuntarily back to Harry as she wondered just how accurate that thought might be.

Fred's face was grim as he looked at his young friends. _They're only eleven_, he thought to himself, almost disgusted. "You did it?"

Draco nodded, nuzzling the top of Harry's head for a second, checking if there was any sign he would wake soon but not being able to use his hands. He sighed in disappointment as the brunette didn't even twitch.

"How's he doing?"

"He'll live." Draco sighed, nodding towards the door. "Can you two walk? We should head back to safety."

...

"They're in here. They've been gone for hours. Draco told me to get you if they hadn't returned by dawn." Neville spoke, strangely calm as he lead Severus Snape and Dumbledore into the room which held a still sleeping Fluffy. He had only meant to get Snape but they'd run into the other professor on their way to the third floor and the headmaster had insisted on accompanying them.

Snape remained silent, the slight frown on his otherwise emotionless face giving away his worry. Dumbledore was a nonstop ramble of questions, the flow of queries intensifying as he laid eyes on the open trapdoor. Neville ignored him completely, going to kneel down by the hole in the floor.

He was about to head back to the professors when distant footsteps echoed up to him from the chamber below. His excitement growing, he cast a lumos, sticking his head and wand through the trapdoor, searching for any sign of his friends.

"Nev? That you?" A weak voice carried up to him and Neville instantly recognised it as Fred.

"Sure is, and I got Snape." He didn't mention Dumbledore quite yet; he wanted to get his friends to safety before loading more stress onto them.

Snape joined his student at the trapdoor, kneeling down and quickly transfiguring the trapdoor door into a rope ladder. He threw it down, keeping hold of one end and charming the floor to latch onto it securely.

"Can you reach the ladder?" Several affirmative calls reached his ears and he let out a relieved sigh, recognising the voices of each of the missing children, bar one. He pushed the thought aside; he'd heard Draco's voice which meant Harry was also alive. "Can you all manage the climb?"

Hermione grabbed Draco's arm, whispering to him so that Snape couldn't hear her. "What're we going to do about Harry? Should we magic him up?"

"I don't think his body could take such a spell." The blonde murmured. "I'll carry him, don't worry, we'll be fine." He called up a 'yes' to his godfather before Hermione could stop him.

He shifted Harry so that he was carrying him in a fireman's lift. He began to climb the ladder in a way that shouldn't be possible. In truth, he knew that if he had still been human, he would never be able to do such a thing. A voice in the back of his mind told him he would probably have to explain this feat, but he didn't care, his only concern was for Harry.

Snape watched in awe as his godson emerged through the hole in the ground, Harry held securely over his shoulder. Even before Draco had stood up on solid ground and brought the younger boy round to once again carry him bridal style, Snape knew the brunette student was unconscious and in need of help. He tilted his head as Draco gave him a small nod and turned to help the others out of the trapdoor, letting the Angel leave.

First Hermione then Fred came through. Neither spoke as Neville rushed forward to support them, letting both lean heavily against him as they headed out of the room, leaving the professors behind without a second thought.

Snape raised a hand, silencing Dumbledore and striding towards the door, letting Dumbledore know that he wasn't needed, wasn't _wanted_. Of course, this went ignored and the old man, as well as his constant stream of questions, followed.

...

**_TBC_**

**_Onyx Claws~#_**


	19. Telephones and hearts

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

**COVER COMPETITION!**

**So yeah, I'm opening up a competition to design a cover for Fallen, so if you're a creative genius (which obviously you are as you're on this site), then head on over to my profile and check out the details, how to enter and the prizes. Thanks and good luck!**

_**A/N-**_

_**_**Beta-ed by the wonderful _**_**LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_**_**_**_

_**I wanted to share with you an observation I've made. Personally, I like to know what inspires writers and which muses boost their creativity levels, and for me I've noticed that I tend to listen to a specific set of songs while writing the next chapter. So for those of you that are interested:**_

_**The previous chapter was inspired a lot by the band Breaking Benjamin, in particular the song 'into the nothing'.  
>This here chapter I don't think would be the same if I hadn't been listening to Heaven's Basement's 'filthy empire' album, 'nothing left to lose' being the song that was repeated several thousand times when I hit a creativity block.<strong>_

_**So if you're curious, check out the songs, or even just the lyrics, and hopefully you'll be able to see in them what I do :)**_

_**And that's it for now...oh yeah, angsty-ness up ahead warning...have fun kids...**_

...

Why was everyone standing so far away? Or were they talking quietly just to frustrate him? It was torture, being able to hear their voices, but the words being just out of his reach, tickling at the edges of his mind like an itch you can't quite reach.

Harry knew without a doubt that he was unconscious. The sense of his body being heavy, almost crushingly so mixed with the impossible feeling of being weightless, floating, was all too familiar. He wondered how long he'd been...lying? Was he lying down? He couldn't feel anything. There was a pressure under his back but he couldn't tell if it was hard or soft, warm or cold. Everything was just numb.

He wondered if he'd been able to hear the whole time he was out...or think for that matter, or whether it was just recently he had started to become aware. He tried to piece together some kind of memory, but when he tried to think the ghosts of images, sounds and feelings whirled through his mind like a badly edited film put on fast forward. Was it a sign he was going to wake soon? He experimentally tried to wriggle his fingers, but the action was impossible; he couldn't even pinpoint the location of his hand.

Refocusing on the voices in an attempt to clasp onto the little bit of reality available to him, his sluggish mind was surprised to hear someone shouting. It was the first words he'd been able to understand...and they made his thoughts run ice cold.

"I said you will not go near him! Do. Not. Touch. Him." The second half was quieter, each word spat out in a dangerously low tone; but the speaker must have moved closer because Harry was still able to make out his words. Something clicked in his mind, a flicker of recognition, but it was lost a moment later.

Harry tried to flinch as a gentle pressure landed on his forehead, gently sweeping across before travelling down his cheek. _Oh, so that's where my head is_, Harry thought to himself, the touch being a much appreciated anchor to reality, even if it did put his brain into a frenzied panic. The second time this movement was repeated he unwillingly relaxed, feeling something familiar in the touch. It reminded him of...of...he mentally shook his head, the memory lost in the haze of his thoughts. The pressure under his back shifted slowly, tilting his body with it. The movement was enough to make him aware of the rest his body; at least enough to feel is arms, his legs. He tried again to wriggle his fingers, grinning inwardly as he felt something rough graze his fingertips.

"Draco, my boy, Madam Pomfrey only wants to cast a few spells, check his pulse and such, she won't hurt him."

Mentally frowning at the voice, for something in the back of his mind told him he didn't like the speaker, Harry forgot about him and focused on his words. He'd said Draco...that meant Draco was here...that voice! The shout, it had been him! He knew he knew that voice! He wanted to get up, find the blonde, but his body was still relentlessly disobedient. Wait then, the touch, that had to be Draco too, no one else would touch him like that...Draco was right next to him!

Refocusing his mind, he tried to move his whole hand this time, feeling victorious when a pressure descended across his midsection and the hand was clasped in a firm grip.

"Did you see that? He moved!" Harry felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck, the way they always did when he could feel he was being stared at. Draco spoke again, murmuring quietly. "Haz, darl, you hear me? I need you to wake up for me, can you do that?"

Harry was instantly reminded of the time at the Burrow when he'd had a nightmare and Draco had asked him the same thing. Hot breath was tickling his face and Draco returned his hand, the one not clutching onto Harry's, and gently cupped his cheek. Harry couldn't think of anything he'd rather do right now than wake up and see his best friend.

Slowly, he willed his eyelids to open, even if just a crack, but the damn things felt like they were welded together. He frowned in frustration, not expecting it when his face complied with the action and he felt his eyebrows furrow. With renewed strength he tried to open his eyes again and was rewarded with a painful flash of white, serving to only make him screw his eyes shut tight.

"Ah, come on now darl, you can do better than that. Come on, try again, let me see those eyes."

Harry could hear the small smile in his voice, and his mind provided an image of what Draco would look like right at that moment, but he wanted to see it for himself. His eyes fluttered open once more and stayed open. The harsh white slowly began to dim and blurred outlines formed. In a few minutes he was able to vaguely make out Draco, but this close, he was nothing more than a blur of colour. Draco moved out of his line of vision and Harry panicked, trying to sit up.

"Relax, dunderhead, you're only going to hurt yourself." The calm, drawling voice of Severus Snape reached his ears and Harry resigned himself to laying still.

Something cold was pressed onto his face, carefully placed over his nose and ears. The Tutela blinked owlishly as a now focused Draco swung back into view. He gasped, trying to sit up again as he was flooded with memories. Having his glasses back seemed to focus his mind, as well as his eyes. Everything that had happened in the last...since he'd gone down the trapdoor came back to him in a split second. He coughed hoarsely, trying to make a noise, to speak, but no sound would come out; his throat was so, so dry. Strong, pale hands pushed him back down onto the bed, effectively pinning him.

"Hush, shh, it's alright, it's fine. I finished it, it's over. Look, I'm alive, you're alive. You're safe now." Draco continued to murmur softly until he felt Harry relax beneath his hands. He let him go and moved to kneel on one side of the bed, moving his hands to either side of Harry's chest in order to support himself as he continued to lean over the brunette.

Allowing his mind to calm with his Angel's soothing words, Harry tried to shove the past to the back of his mind, for now only wanting to care about the here and now. Groggily, he raised his right arm inch by inch, finally bringing it round and up so that his hand could reach his friend's face, which was hovering above his. He ran his fingers gently over the worry lines on his forehead, smoothing them out. He swept his thumb between the neat, fine blonde eyebrows, down his sharp nose and across his cheek. His eyes were glued to Draco's deep silver ones. The older boy had always told him that he could read him like a book because his eyes revealed everything, but Harry found that it was Draco's own eyes that showed every feeling, every thought, every emotion. Concern and worry swirled together with hope, happiness and care. He saw a flicker of something else cross his gaze, something...more? He was interrupted from his musings before he could ponder it any further.

Draco reluctantly swivelled his head around, glaring at the man who had coughed in order to get their attention. Dumbledore seemed unaffected and Draco sighed, murmuring a quite "one moment" before turning back.

It was only then that Harry took in the rest of his surroundings. Lifting his head ever so slightly, Harry could make out the figures of Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore huddled closely together. Snape was on the other side of the...hospital bed. Harry wanted to hit himself for only now realising he was in the Infirmary. How could he have missed that?

Shifting his weight, Draco straightened up, swinging his legs around in a single graceful motion so that he was facing the faculty members. He scooted up the bed, sitting beside Harry's head, long legs stretching down the bed, and settled back against the hard, metal headboard. Normally, he would have stolen one of the pillows from underneath Harry's head to make himself more comfortable, but due to the circumstances he decided it wouldn't be a good move.

"D-Dray?" Harry managed to croak out. His throat felt like sandpaper.

Draco claimed his hand again, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Yeah darl?"

"Help me sit up?"

Obliging immediately, the blonde careful pulled him up, arms around his torso to support him. Without even being asked, Severus was by his side, piling the pillows up behind Harry. With a thankful nod to his godfather, Draco leant the smaller boy back. "Better?"

Harry smiled warmly at Sev as he pressed a glass of water from on top of the bedside cabinet into his hands. The professor flashed him a smile, quickly covering it with a blank mask of indifference before Dumbledore or Pomfrey could notice. The brunette tilted his head at Draco, nodding in answer to his question. His smile grew when a pale hand covered his slightly trembling one, helping to keep the glass steady as he raised it to take a much needed sip of the cool liquid.

Dumbledore coughed once more, applying a twinkle to his eyes as he stared down at the two boys on the bed. "Harry, my boy, glad to see you're finally awake. How're you feeling?"

Ignoring him because he knew the headmaster was only attempting small talk so that he could begin his onslaught of drivel and nonsense, Harry cut straight to what he was interested in. "What did you do to upset Draco? I heard him shouting a little while before I woke up."

Taken aback, Dumbledore took a second to piece together his reply, feeling shameful for being caught out, even though he believed he was in the right, "Surely you're more interested in what happened that night? After you passed out, I mean?"

"Not really." Harry said bluntly. He felt Draco turn and tuck his face into his hair, muffling his quiet laughter in the messy locks. He sighed at the look he received from Dumbledore, knowing the old man wouldn't leave him alone until he elaborated. "Dray said it's alright, I don't need to know anymore than that." An unspoken yet obvious 'especially from _you_' followed his words. "So why were you upsetting my friend?" An innocent look was quickly plastered onto his face, one he knew that only Draco would be able to see through.

"I...Madam Pomfrey was only trying to perform some medical spells to check you over. Something she's been trying to do several times since you entered the Infirmary. Your _friend _here prevented her each time, doing everything he could to stop her from helping you." He let the accusation hang heavily in the air, grabbing at every chance offered to him to drive the boys apart in the hopes that Harry would turn to the 'light', becoming the boy he'd always wanted to sculpt him into.

This time it was Snape who spoke up, his tone quite but deadly, slicing through the atmosphere like a shard of ice. "Sir, in all respect, I too stood in Poppy's way. Don't put all the blame on Draco."

"Thank you, professor Snape." Harry smiled, addressing him properly due to the other faculty members. He ran his thumb over the back of Draco's hand, silently thanking him. He could only imagine what would've happened if the Madam had been able to take his pulse, and Merlin only knows how messed up the rest of his reading might be.

Madam Pomfrey spoke up for the first time, sounding affronted. "Excuse me? You didn't want my help?"

"Not to sound rude, but no." Harry said simply. He was tired, bored of talking to people he didn't particularly like. "Was there anything else you wanted, Headmaster?" He watched from the corner of his eye as Pomfrey spun, heading towards her office, angrily muttering to herself.

"Could you tell me the tale from what happened two nights ago?"

Harry was thrown off, not sure how to answer. He glanced to Draco and the blonde stared levelly back, and in that moment, Draco told him everything, without even moving his lips. Harry's mind wandered, wondering when exactly they'd become so close that he could read the other's mind with a single look, but shrugged, not overly caring about the answer.

"Draco's already told you everything you need to know. There is nothing else I could add."

Dumbledore stared in amazement, wondering just how lost his weapon was to the young Malfoy. "Are you quite sure?"

Nodding, Harry made a show out of stretching languidly, rubbing his eyes and letting out a loud yawn. Snape shot him a look, smirking conspiratorially.

"I think it's time we leave them, professor, Potter is obviously still recovering."

Harry nodded and groaned, rubbing at his temples as if beginning to get a headache.

Seeing that it would seem wrong of him to argue, Dumbledore smiled, nodding his head in reluctant agreement before walking from the room almost sulkily.

As soon as the old man was out of sight, the potions master swatted Harry on the back of the head. "You are such a bad actor."

"I know, but my godly good looks cover up the mistakes." He grinned evilly as Draco spluttered indignantly.

"You stole that line from me!"

Snape rolled his eyes to the ceiling as if dull, flaking white paint might give him strength. "Boys, enough. Now, are you going to give me the more detailed version of what happened the other night?"

Without hesitation, the pupils launched into explaining the events. Secretly, Snape was awed at how well the two...fitted together, for want of a better word. They worked together, finishing each other's sentences, filling in the gaps in the other's knowledge, taking it in turns to gesture enthusiastically while the other spoke. He absorbed all the information like a sponge, paying attention to every horrific detail.

Harry, who was currently speaking, began to stutter. "And then-well, I used...whatever it was to burn his face. I grabbed him and-and I think that...that may have been when I passed out?" He looked to Draco to continue, obviously not knowing what had happened after that.

Draco was lost for words, suddenly not so willing to tell his godfather everything. What had happened felt too...personal. "Erm, you know that voice I told you about? The one that was my helpline, helps me to understand this Angel stuff?" Severus gave a slightly confused nod. "Well it belongs too...another Angel, I guess. Called Gabriel. Anyway, Gabriel came then. I don't know how to explain it but then I killed Voldemort, or Quirrell, whatever it was, with the black power around my hands."

"How did you feel about that?" Severus asked, curiously.

Gulping, Draco frowned as the truth of what he'd done hit him. "I...I killed someone. But Quirrell was long gone, it had been a permanent possession. It was just Voldemort. I don't know. Should I feel bad?"

Snape shook his head sadly, "No, it was Voldemort, but not only that, from what I've heard he wasn't even a hundred percent human at the time. Don't feel bad, you may have saved a lot of lives by doing what you did." He paused, deciding to change the subject. "What happened after that?"

"Gabriel said something cryptic, promised me and Haz a visit, and then vanished. Then I lugged him back to safety." He nudged Harry's shoulder playfully.

"Oh, Gabriel's coming to visit?" Harry said, his tone neutral. He didn't really know how he felt about the dark Angel. At Draco's nod, Harry turned back to Snape, still having many questions to ask. "Do you know how I managed to burn Quirrell's body that night?"

"By touching him? Hmm, Dumbledore prattled on about your mother's love for you protecting you from the hate and greed, some nonsense like that."

Harry shared a sarcastic smile with the professor. As much as he wanted to believe his mother's love had somehow given him burning powers, the idea was quite ridiculous.

"Anyway," Severus continued. "I ran a diagnoses spell on you to check on your health - and no, nobody knows the results apart from me and Draco, don't worry. It revealed that you'd suffered a severe, bizarre allergic reaction to something, the side effect being that it...well, it made you poisonous; your skin, organs, everything, were toxic. The poison burns, it seems almost corrosive, and the direct contact with Quirrell's body...you saw the results." Snape paused for a moment, ordering his words. "It was probably why you were unconscious for so long, your body had to repair itself from both Voldemort's attack and the allergy. If it had been any longer you would have surely died, your body turning on itself, poisoning itself, but fortunately, whatever you were allergic to was removed from your person."

Draco nodded, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy and dragging him closer. "Because of the timing and that you suffered a magical reaction; I presume that you're allergic to the Philosopher's Stone, for whatever reason. Gabriel took the Stone before leaving."

Harry shuddered, sickened at how easily his life could have ended. A small part of him couldn't help but feel frustrated that after all they'd been through, he'd nearly died of a simple allergy.

Suddenly, a thought struck him and he turned to Snape, almost accusingly. "Dumbledore must have known _something_about what was going on? Did he know about Quirrell? Did he know we'd go for the Stone?"

Sighing, Severus offered him a sympathetic shake of his head. "I really don't know anymore. I have no idea what that man knows. At times he seems completely oblivious, at others incredibly aware."

Draco jolted suddenly, his hand flying to his skinny jeans pocket, which was buzzing loudly.

Snape shook his head. Seeing his godson willingly wear muggle clothes never ceased to amaze him, let alone seeing him choose to wear clothes like _that_. He watched with amusement as Draco stood up, jumping around, trying to pry the phone from his pocket, which looked a near impossible feat. The bright blue jeans were so tight they barely allowed room for pockets, they barely allowed room for _Draco_, let alone trying to keep anything in said pockets.

Whooping in delight, Draco settled back beside Harry, putting the phone on loud speaker and dropping it between them. Immediately, Jay's loud voice filled the air.

"My God, I thought you wouldn't answer! Babe? You speaking to me? Oi blondie? What's happened? Something wrong? Speak to me!"

"Hey Jay, stop panicking you soppy moron." Draco grinned down at the phone, filling Harry in. "I stole your phone, the last text you sent Jay got him all worried for us so I took the job of reassuring him every five minutes while you were catching your beauty sleep."

Harry frowned, "What did you tell him?"

Draco smiled sadly. "The truth. A teacher suffered a psychotic break and went on a violent rampage."

"Who you talking to? Haz you up? Is my baby awake?" Jay's voice sounded oddly high-pitched through the phone's speaker.

"Call me that again and I'll knock your fucking head off." Harry said playfully. He felt his 'brother's' concern wash through him, a warm, glowing feeling seeming to settle somewhere near his stomach.

"Language, Potter." Snape scolded as he always did whenever Harry swore, but he only half meant it, he couldn't really be mad at the boy when he looked so happy. Severus's mind drifted back to an old conversation he'd had with Dumbledore. Dumbledore had confided that he wished Granger and the youngest Weasley son had become Harry's best friends, creating some kind of 'golden trio'. However, seeing the conversation on the bed, he knew that those three were the real golden trio.

"Baby! Are you okay? How you feeling? What happe- wait no... you okay? You hurt?" His voice sounded almost terrified.

Draco looked at Harry with amusement but the look on the younger boy's face made the smile drop from his lips.

"Hun, calm down, okay? Listen to me, I'm fine. There's nothing you can do, nothing needs doing, everything is alright." Harry kept is voice steady, hiding his desperation to see his oldest friend. He ignored Draco and Severus's confused, concerned looked.

Jay was silent for a moment, a quiet rustling sounding from the phone, as if the white-haired boy was nodding to himself. "Okay. I need to see you though. I can get the train, I can be there in a few hours."

"Jay honey, no listen, we come home tomorrow. School finishes tomorrow. Got that? So we can see you then." Jay sounded as if he was about to interrupt but Harry continued. "I know, I know. But it's not like before. This is different. I'm safe."

"I don't like this. I feel so bad waiting to see you. Promise me you'll let me know as soon as you arrive?"

Harry smiled, completely oblivious to his audience. This was his and Jay's relationship, the one behind all the name calling and play fighting. "Sure honey, promise. You want to meet at the train station again?"

"Yes, I need to see you as soon as possible."

Smiling again, Harry picked up the phone, ready to disconnect. "See you there. And before you say anything, I'll let you know if anything happens as soon as it happens."

"Okay. Bye Harry. Love you."

"Love you too."

Hanging up, Harry let out a sigh and went to put the phone in his pocket, just now realising he was dressed only in one of those flimsy, paper hospital gowns. He handed the phone back to Draco.

"Only explain if you want to, darl." The blonde murmured tentatively.

Sighing again, Harry brought his knees to his chest almost defensively, glad that the oversized gown was large enough on his small frame to keep him covered. "I guess you should know, it happened when me and Jay first met, actually." He began, ducking his head, knowing neither the professor nor Draco would like this story. "You both know what it's like at the Dursley's."

Draco nodded sadly, drawing his Tutela on top of his lap, holding him close. He and Snape both knew what he was talking about, and how much it must hurt to bring up the memories. They stayed silent as he continued.

"About three years ago, I had been mopping the floor in the Dursley's kitchen. Dudley had run through, not hearing my warning, and slid and fell. He broke his wrist. Uncle Vernon punished me hard for that, it was probably the worst it had ever been." Inhaling sharply, he skipped to the next part of the story.

"I managed to escape through the backdoor and just ran. I really thought that that would be it, that I'd pass out in a gutter somewhere and not wake up. Now I think about it, I think I would have, had the Angels not been 'looking after me'." Harry added sounding more bitter than he'd intended to as he remembered something Gabriel had told him. _We kept your heart beating, your organs working and the majority of your bones from breaking._

"I managed to get a couple streets away before collapsing." He continued. "The next thing I knew I was waking up on someone's sofa. I must have shouted out or something before passing out because later, Jay explained how he'd heard me the next street over and had come running. He'd picked me up and brought me back to his house where he and Frankie took me in and looked after me. They saved my life that day. Complete strangers had helped me; it was the first time I realised that there were actually some good people in the world."

Harry smiled sadly. "From then on we became good friends, brothers. It took him awhile to get it out of me but I told him everything and we became very close; we knew all of each other's secrets and fears." He leaned heavier against Draco, suddenly more tired than he was a moment ago. "Although he got used to it, he could never stand to see me injured. Like you heard, he panics if I'm hurt and he can't be there; he thinks that every time there's a new bruise, a fresh cut, he's let me down because he wasn't there to stop it. Which is ridiculous as he could never come into the house; the Dursley's would kill me if they found out I had dared to make a friend. I hate to be such a burden on him, but he made me his responsibility."

Severus stood abruptly, looking at Harry with watery eyes, hurrying from the room before the first treacherous tear could fall. Harry swore he heard him mutter something like "was only eight years old."

Draco buried his head in the brunette's mop of wild hair, weeping quietly. "Why hadn't I been given to you sooner? This could have been stopped. You shouldn't have suffered." He tightened his grip around the other's slim frame.

"Don't think about it, Dray. There's no point in regretting the past or wishing for it to change. That's just the way things happened. The important things are what we do now and what we will do."

The Angel wondered how he had managed to get a friend as perfect as Harry. He was so strong, so wise, so...Harry. He didn't know how anyone could bring themselves to hurt such a person, all he wanted to do was protect him, keep him safe, and never let him feel pain again. He pressed his lips to his tan forehead, reminiscent of the way he had two nights ago.

Startled, Harry turned to look up at him. "I remember that." At Draco's questioning look he elaborated. "I remember now. When I passed out, I mustn't have been fully unconscious; I could still feel and I had felt so numb and cold and...lost. And then I felt you. You held me, like you are now. You were crying, and you kissed my head. You kept talking to me. I'm glad you did. It gave me something to cling to, if that makes sense. I'm sorry I made you cry."

Draco cupped his cheek, tilting the smaller boy's head up, resting their foreheads together. "I will cry for you if I want to bloody well cry for you. Never apologise for something like that. I thought after all this time you'd understand. I. Care. For. You." He had lifted his head up, punctuating each of his last words with a kiss to Harry's hairline. "You are brilliant. I need you to understand that. You are so strong. Please, never hide anything from me. I want to be there for you through everything, I thought you knew that."

"I do. I know. But you don't see you like I do. When you cry it's just so...I'm not-"

"Don't you dare say you're not worthy of my tears. You're worthy of everything I could ever give you."

Harry wanted to protest, to say how much he hated seeing tears taint his Angel's flawless face, knowing that those tears were because of him, but he knew that anything he said would be futile. Instead he stayed silent, leaning up to rest their foreheads together again.

Draco let out a sigh, being able sense his Tutela's brooding. "What's the first thing that comes into your head when you think of loved ones?"

"Someone you care for deeply, a major part of your life. If they weren't there, a part of your life would be missing." He smirked, echoing something Draco had once told him. "When they hurt, you hurt, they cry, you cry. When they smile, you smile, they're happy, you're happy."

"Exactly. So just shut up, stop being moody and let me love you."

Harry's eyes flew wide and that warm feeling was back and increased tenfold, but he did what he was told and stayed quiet, instead just grinning into the older boy's shoulder.

They stayed in comfortable silence for a while, listening to each other's breathing. A slight, barely audible rustling caught their attention and they turned slowly so they could stare down at the foot of the bed.

Gabriel had sat down gracefully before flopping down onto its stomach. It propped itself up on its elbows, wings and lower legs in the air, swaying slightly. "I see you two made it out alive."

Harry buried his face into Draco's chest, not wanting to leave his warm embrace. He mumbled a quite "hello" into the fabric.

"I'm liking the origami dress, dear Harry." Gabriel nodded towards the paper gown, sounding cheerful although as always, its emotions were never quite readable due to the mask.

Draco raised his head, staring tiredly at the other Angel. He hadn't slept since the night before they'd gone down the trapdoor. He'd stayed by Harry's hospital bed, never moving, always watching over him. He didn't need sleep anyway. He was just feeling...drained.

"Am I right in thinking you both want to get straight to the point? No entertaining gossip for dear Gabby?" Harry could swear he heard a pout play in the completely indescribably voice as it adopted the nickname Draco had once used.

After another look from the blonde Angel, Gabriel splayed its hands in defeat. "Fine. Topic one: The Philosopher's Stone."

Harry turned around in Draco's lap at this so that he could watch what it was doing. Gabriel reached into some hidden fold of its tunic, pulling out the fist-sized red stone.

"See anything familiar about it?" It held the Stone between a gloved thumb and index finger, turning it this way and that to give the boys a clear view.

It was clear now that it seemed to be roughly oval shape, slightly larger at the top, made up of four sections. Strange lumps stuck out of the smooth surface, looking like the beginnings of thick tubes.

Draco gasped, a hand flying to cover his mouth. "A heart. A human heart."

"Good boy. Not quite human though. Let's play a little detective game. I'll give you clues, you piece them together." Gabriel kept its voice cheerful, hiding its utter disgust. "A legendary substance with astonishing powers. It can give eternal life. It can produce gold, one of the most precious rocks. It is virtually indestructible. It's poisonous to dear Harry, in fact to every Tutela it comes into contact with. It is extremely rare, in fact, there's only one living one around at the moment."

Harry grabbed for Draco's hand, bringing it up to his mouth and whispering into the pale skin. "It's an Angel's heart." He felt Draco tense behind him.

"Well done, dear Harry. As you can tell, the properties drastically change once it's dead. It's perfectly safe while hammering away in your chest, but as you know, it becomes highly toxic to your kind once it's given its final beat." It motioned towards the Stone. "I think this one belonged to a man, Sanjay. Yes, he was an interesting one."

"But why-how? Just...what?" Harry spluttered, trying to wrap his head around it. He felt a thick, uncomfortable lump form in his throat.

Gabriel returned the Stone to its tunic. "Do you remember that centaur, what he said about it? 'Such a cold name for something so precious'. He's right. That man, the self-proclaimed owner of the only Stone currently in existence, he doesn't own it. He stole it."

"Six hundred years ago, Nicholas Flamel was a...well, he called himself a doctor, but during those days they still believed that wearing a donkey skin would cure rheumatism." Gabriel continued. "He knew he was a wizard, but obviously due to the times he didn't spread that fact around, so he stuck to non-magical medicine. Anyway, one day two corpses were brought to him to examine. He was told that both people had died at the exact same time and that he had to find out if there was some new disease going round. He soon found out that one of the bodies was indestructible, coming to no harm no matter what he did to it." Gabriel let out a sound of disgust, as if it had witnessed the experimentations itself. "The other was cut open and the second heart was discovered. As you saw it's stronger, more stone-like than a human heart, and the curiosity nearly drove him mad."

Harry and Draco stayed completely silent as the dark Angel finished its story. "He experimented with it, horrifically. Burning it, hitting it, everything, but it seemed just as indestructible as the first corpse. He had the clever idea of using indestructible to break indestructible...I won't go into detail but he managed to grind down part of the heart, making a powder. He fed some to a rat, wondering if he had created a poison. More experiments were conducted. He'd kept blood samples from the second corpse and after all of his tests with the powder proved fruitless, he had the brilliant idea of mixing the blood and powder together. The mixing bowl and stirrer, which were both made of metal, turned to gold. Next, his attention was brought back to the rat he had tested on. He saw that it was dying, but of nothing more than old age. He realised how old the rat must be, having kept it throughout years of investigating the heart, and knew that it should be dead. He gave more of the powder to it and although it did not get any younger, it appeared to instantly become healthier and carried on living."

"So, he discovered that the heart could be used to make gold and achieve immortality, at least temporarily." Draco spoke quietly, looking sickened. "Then what?"

Gabriel sighed, "He became greedy, using up the entire heart to make himself and his wife filthy rich and immortal. But then it was all gone, and their wealth began to dwindle and they started to age again. Flamel got scared. He began hunting for another one. He used his medical status to keep tabs on any reports of strange circumstances. Sure enough, he heard rumours about a young German girl who had two pulses and was living with a Canadian, which was strange enough at the time, who had incredible strength and speed."

"And Flamel went to visit them?" Harry asked, almost in a whisper.

"Yes. That wasn't all, though. He...he-" The dark Angel broke off, unable to continue.

Draco gasped, "Did he kill them?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"Yes. He killed the Tutela, and the Angel died with her. After that he began hunting Angels and their wards." Gabriel gestured to where the heart was hidden in its tunic. "This one, his latest, is his fifth."

Harry pressed his fist hard into his twisting stomach, the heavy lump in his throat growing bigger. He was glad he hadn't eaten anything in a while, he was sure he wouldn't have been able to keep it down. He clutched his hand over the right side of his chest, feeling Draco's heart thrum beneath his fingers.

"He should be arrested!" The brunette exclaimed, outraged.

"Dear Harry," answered Gabriel sadly. "If people discovered how to get hold of that kind of power, do you really think they would outlaw it? Do you really think the Ministry that controls all your laws will be against the exploitation of something that isn't even completely human and could be used to benefit their own?"

"There'd be a worldwide hunt." Draco murmured, shocked. "That's why we're not in any books, not a part of public knowledge, right? At least not in any more detail than vague fables and fairy tales."

Nodding, Gabriel sat up, its wings curving up and over in magnificent arches behind it, falling down over the edge of the hospital bed and almost brushing the floor. "I think it's time for the next topic; our dear Draco's transformation. What do you know so far?"

"Only the physical changes that I could see," Draco said, shrugging. "The extra strength, claws, change of outfit. Oh, my senses were heightened...apart from sight, which turned black and white. I felt like I was burning and freezing at the same time, but it felt good."

Gabriel let out a laugh. It was one of the strangest noises the two wizards had ever heard. Due to the lack of tone, pitch and actual _feeling_in the voice, it sounded unnatural, almost eerily fake.

"I did tell you that you neglected your abilities." It stated, the strange laugh still playing in its voice. "You have the potential to be so strong, so much..._more_than human. You caught a glimpse of that on that night. But you can be even stronger than that."

"And what about that black magic? The one that swirled around my hands?"

If Gabriel had had a visible face, the wizards knew they would see it roll its eyes. "Do you not pay attention to anything I tell you? All along I've said that you'd be stronger mentally and magically, not just physically. You're not just a wizard, dear Draco. You have the magic of Angels, death magic."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Draco shot it a strange look. "Necromancy?"

"Hmm, yes, I guess you could call it that, although not quite in the sense that you mean it. No raising the dead or anything like that. One day you'll unlock all of your powers. I think you just need to be pushed hard enough; it'll happen when dear Harry's life is truly in danger."

Draco scowled, muttering darkly. "Because Voldemort's on the same danger level as a bloody puppy, right?"

Choosing to ignore the blonde, Gabriel gave a slight shrug. "And you're wrong, by the way, about the sight that is. A pure white Harry in a world of grey is definitely easier to keep track of than colourful Harry in a world of colour. And, if anyone should decide to try and trick you, say with a spell, then you can clearly see where he is, or which one he is, say said spell be a doppelganger spell."

Reluctantly, Draco nodded in agreement. He'd seen many people be tricked with polyjuice potion, so yes, it was helpful. He watched as Gabriel somehow got from lying on its stomach to being on its feet in one fluid, impossible movement.

"Wait!" Harry called, sure the Angel was about to leave. "Just one more thing. Is...is Voldemort dead?"

"Of course not." Gabriel said, not meanly but not altogether nicely either. "I hate to say it, dear Harry, but I fear fate will never be kind to you."

With that the Angel sprang from the bed in a whirl of black feathers and skipped delicately over to the massive window at the end of the Infirmary. Without missing a beat it leapt up onto the wide stone sill and dropped through the fortunately wide open window.

Draco suppressed the urge to go and look, knowing Gabriel would be long gone by the time he could cross the room.

The two boys sat in comfortable silence, each mulling over their own thoughts. After a long moment, Harry's concerned voice cut the air.

"How is everybody? Where are they?" He felt a sickening guilt build up in his stomach. His friends had risked their lives, been injured, and yet he hadn't once asked about them since waking.

Reading his expression, Draco drew him closer. "You've had a lot on your mind, a lot of information shoved at you at once, don't feel bad. Fred broke a couple ribs and dislocated his shoulder when he was thrown. His head got the most damage, from where the white queen had struck him. Thankfully his skull seems to be made of concrete; he managed to get away with just a broken jaw and although the concussion was pretty bad, it was easily fixable. He's in the dorms; Madam Pomfrey said he had to stay in bed, but he outright refused to stay in one of the hospital ones. Hermione and Neville have minor scrapes and bruises. Everyone came back exhausted and cold, they all spent the first day back in bed."

"And you?"

"I was here of course, guarding you from evil, manipulative old men and their needle-wielding, medical accomplices." He winked at his Tutela with a smirk. "Anyway, once they'd all recovered they've been alternating between visiting you and Fred. I wouldn't be surprised if they came soon, actually, it's been a couple hours."

Automatically, Harry looked to the door of the Infirmary, waiting for the 'speak of the devil' cliché to take place. Surprisingly, someone did walk through the doors, but it wasn't anyone either of the first years had expected (or wanted) to see.

Dumbledore, twinkle firmly in place, slowly made his way over to the hospital bed.

"Ah, Harry my boy, I see you're feeling a lot more awake now." He either didn't see or ignored the glare aimed in his direction. "I just received a letter, and wondered if you could do something for me?"

The reply was short, clipped, but the old Headmaster didn't seem to notice the icy tone. "Depends."

"Unsurprisingly, Nicholas Flamel has gotten in touch. I assume by know you've figured out about the Philosopher's Stone. He's trying to find its whereabouts, naturally he'd like his property returned to him."

Inhumanly quickly, Draco clamped a hand over Harry's mouth, preventing the outraged outburst before it'd even crossed Harry's mind to shout and scream. He felt the brunette's jaw tighten angrily and didn't need to look to know he'd be glaring daggers at everything within his line of sight and mentally cursing Flamel into oblivion.

Slowly unclenching his own jaw, Draco plastered innocence onto his face (although deep down, he knew he was nowhere near as good at that act as Harry was) and ground out in the politest voice he could manage, "I'll send him a reply, sir. Tell Flamel he can expect a letter within two weeks. Rest assure, sir, I'll sort it out."

Taken aback, it took a moment for Dumbledore to reply. "Are you sure? It would be no hassle for me to, if you just gave me the details of what you wanted to say."

"I'm quite certain."

Dumbledore continued to stand there, looking like he was torn, like he was trying to decide whether to stay and argue or walk away. Fight or flight sprang to Draco's mind.

"Anything else, sir?" The blonde asked, almost mockingly.

Shaking himself from his stupor, the Headmaster smiled a twinkly smile and turned on his heels, leaving the room.

Draco rolled his eyes towards Harry as he felt the smaller boy try and bite one of his fingers. He removed his hand, revealing a moody pout.

"I wouldn't have said anything stupid."

He couldn't help it, slowly a smile began to crack across Draco's lips and he quickly dissolved into laughter. "No, you wouldn't have." He choked out. "You would have yelled it. At the top of your lungs. While throwing things. And stomping your feet."

"I don't throw tantrums! _You_throw tantrums!" he shouted, indignantly.

Draco raised a single eyebrow, indicating Harry's current behaviour compared to his own.

Sticking his tongue out, Harry chose to ignore him. "You're going to write Flamel a letter? Will it be a professional, trademark Malfoy I'm-going-to-rip-you-to-shreds letter?"

"Of course."

"He deserves a lot worse for what he's done."

Letting out a sigh, Draco nodded his agreement. "Unfortunately it's the best we can do. But, if I have anything to do with it, he'll be living in fear for the rest of his life."

"Ooh, who're you threatening?" George exclaimed loudly as he waltz into the Infirmary.

Before he could open his mouth to reply, Harry was attacked by a brown whirlwind, He heard Draco let out an "oof" as Hermione threw herself over him on order to tackle Harry into a hug.

"Oh Harry, I'm so happy to see you're awake. How are you?"

"Good thanks, 'Mione." Harry smiled as he returned the hug.

George flopped down onto his stomach across the bottom of the bed, not noticing as Harry and Draco shared a look, eerily reminded of Gabriel. "Loving the origami dress."

Harry's eyes flew wide and he stared at Draco, who returned the freaked out look with an equally freaked out laugh.

"You've been beaten to that one already, George." Draco kept his tone light.

"Damn, who could possibly beat me to a wise-crack? I was pretty proud of that one, too."

Excuses flashed through his mind but surprisingly Harry beat him to it. "We had a couple visitors after Dumbledore finished his interrogating."

Neville spoke up for the first time, "They got you too, huh?"

Draco nodded, scowling. Neville smiled knowingly and took the chair beside the bed while Hermione clambered off of Harry and Draco and joined George down the foot of the bed.

...

It had felt like no time had passed at all, but suddenly it had turned dark. The friends had spent hours just talking about everything and anything.

Pomfrey chose then to come out of her office, her grey eyebrows shooting into her hairline at the amount of unauthorised visitors. With a frown she informed Harry that he was able to return to the dorm and not needing telling twice, the five friends rushed from the Infirmary.

The Madam shook her head as she watched Harry somehow yank on the trousers and shirt that had been placed beside his bed as he ran. She smiled when he managed the feat without once stumbling of tripping, relieved that he wouldn't be having to return to the Infirmary so soon after leaving it.

...

_**TBC  
>Onyx Claws~#<strong>_


	20. Clothes and stations

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**_**Beta-ed by the wonderful _**_**LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_**_**_**_

_**_**_**_**My muses for this chapter are influenced by Placebo's 'The Bitter End'.**_**_**_**_

_**_**_**_**I know this chapter isn't that long, but really, that's mostly because the previous ones have been so long and I thought it was about time to start reducing the length to a more manageable size, updates come quicker that way too. Besides, I think it would have ruined the effect of this chapter if it had more in it.**_**_**_**_

_**_**_**_**In a real angst-y mood at the moment, so expect loads of that...and well...please enjoy...**_**_**_**_

...

The next morning, despite Madam Pomfrey saying that they all needed to rest, six people woke up exhausted.

Hermione, Neville, Draco, Harry, George and even Fred (after deciding he was well enough to move) had congregated in the Gryffindor common room on Harry's return from the Infirmary and had unintentionally stayed up the majority of the night talking. They'd woken, spread eagled across the furniture, to the whispering comments of all of their housemates (except Hermione's, but she was with the Gryffindors so often that many considered her one of their own) and had been instantly bombarded by a thousand and one questions.

They'd quickly made up excuses and had escaped outdoors into the summer sun to waste time before the end of year feast, no one feeling the want or need to tell their tale.

...

The group of friends strolled into the Great Hall like they would any other day, not paying any attention as the entire room fell silent at their entrance. They were all still exhausted from everything that'd happened and none of them could bring themselves to care.

Hermione gave them all a hug before heading to the Ravenclaw table and the others took their normal seats, looking around with only faint interest as they took in the green and silver decorations. "Oh, the slimy gits won the Cup again." Fred murmured to no one in particular.

Dumbledore arrived at that moment and the Hall remained silent as he launched into a tiring, seemingly never ending monologue about education and house points, and to the disappointment of a particular group of six students, began a dramatic retelling of the events from a few nights before.

Each of the people who had actually been present at the time couldn't hold back their winces as details were confused and the more important parts were left out due to none of the friends being willing to divulge much information to the meddling Headmaster.

Snape shot Harry and Draco a look, silently reminding them that they just had to suffer his drivel for a little while longer and then they could go home. Harry smiled back thankfully, glad for the reminder that the feast was happening midday, in replacement of the normal lunch, so the students could go home straight after, meaning he would be seeing Jay tonight. He felt Draco grab his hand and knew he was thinking the same.

They continued to patiently listen as the bad situation turned worse and Dumbledore piled even more unwanted attention upon Fred, George, Harry, Draco, Neville and Hermione. He had decided to award them all ridiculous amounts of house points, seemingly for breaking school rules and putting their lives in danger.

Rolling their eyes as Slytherin's victory of winning the House Cup was robbed from them (yes, the friend's all knew that they didn't really deserve the points, and although they didn't like the Slytherins, they knew that they'd deserved to win because they'd worked hard for those points), the small cluster of Gryffindors tucked into the feast as it appeared, half-heartedly discussing their plans for the holidays, ignoring the housemates cheering around them.

...

The train ride back to King's Cross seemed to lift everyone's mood and the four first years and two third years shared old stories to pass the time. They all laughed at the twins tales of past pranks, ooh-ed and ahh-ed as Harry spoke of feats with Jay and listened in awe as Draco told them what it was like growing up pureblood and rich (keeping the atmosphere light by skipping over the less pleasant details).

They'd all changed into their normal clothes as soon as they could, all sharing a mutual hatred for the Hogwarts school robes. Hermione, in a rare show of her girly side, was in a pretty floral dress that ruffled down to her knees, her hair scooped up into a messy knot after Draco had insisted on styling it. The look suited her and she'd blushed at all the compliments she'd received.

Fred and George were decked out casually in baggy jeans and plain t-shirts, being able to wear muggle clothes due to their dad's obsession with all things non-magical. Neville couldn't help but glare at them jealously every time he saw them in such clothes; being from a pureblood household he was forced to permanently be in formal wizard dress, although thankfully it was acceptable to wear the usual suit pant style trousers and fitted shirt without the heavy outer robes during warmer weather.

Harry'd just grabbed the first clean clothes he could reach out of his trunk. He wore jeans that seemed to have more holes than actual fabric (they'd been christened the curse jeans as every time Harry ran in them, a new tear or rip seemed to appear) and a black band tee that he'd stolen off Jay and was therefore quite big on his tiny frame, the neckline always slipping off one shoulder. Draco had told him he looked like a mess, but Harry had easily ignored him, knowing that the older boy found his style cute, no matter how reluctant he was to admit it.

No one, however, found Draco's style cute. Not being used to muggle clothes, in the beginning he'd stuck to jeans and hoodies. But over time, he'd developed a taste, and blending in with the crowd was definitely not it. When he wasn't running he loved skinny jeans, the brighter and bolder the better. Today he was in a pillar box red mood and had teamed it with a top that he'd allowed Harry to hack at with a pair of scissors.

On their first shopping trip during the summer, Draco had purchased a tight, plain black vest that reached down to his mid thighs. He'd liked it but Harry had told him it was boring and therefore he was going to customize it. Harry had cut straight down the back, removing a four inch wide strip down the centre. Sewing box in hand (which Draco had laughed at; he knew Harry had many talents, but was unaware sewing had been one of them) he had decided to corset the material back together. And Draco had to admit he liked the hacked by scissors version a lot better than the original. It looked like it had always meant to be like that, and he liked the contrast of his pale skin against the criss-crossed lace passed through silver eyelets. Jay had been quick to name him Dracinda whenever he wore it, but Draco didn't care. He knew it looked feminine, like one of those backless dresses rich muggle celebrities wear, but he liked it and so he didn't care what anyone thought. Besides, Harry had made it, and that made it special.

He'd accessorised with a single arm warmer; Harry had been wearing a pair of them and the blonde couldn't stop himself from nicking one. He'd also thrown on his favourite pair of boots, heavy, mean looking things that were covered in everything and anything; buckles, spikes, chains, the lot. He'd tried to persuade Harry to get boots, to get anything other than tennis shoes, but the younger boy had steadfastly stuck to canvas trainers. They were to him what skinny jeans were to Draco; the blonde had quickly lost count of how many pairs his Tutela owned, each a different colour or pattern.

It had taken a while for the school to get used to Harry and Draco. Harry had always been painted as the golden boy, even though nobody had heard of him since he was a baby. The first time he'd walked into the Great Hall in his own clothes, he saw something die in Dumbledore's eyes, and he had to wonder what the Headmaster had expected; a three piece tweed suit, maybe. Having been born into a well respected, pureblood family, Draco was supposed to uphold the Malfoy name, even if he had been disowned. People had expected to see smart, expensive formal robes. You could imagine the shock at the news that a Malfoy was wearing muggle clothes. But then again, people should know better than to make presumptions about the blonde; over the last year he had become notorious for obliterating expectations.

...

Harry and Draco ran towards the barrier separating the wizard and muggle worlds as soon as their feet left the train; they had time to say goodbye to their friends later, but for now they had someone they needed to see.

Ignoring the grumpy looking guard that was trying to manage the crossing to the platform, they barrelled towards the wall, jumping over or swerving around anything that dare get in their way. Jay was spotted immediately, the general public having kept their distance from the pierced teen. The two wizards kept running, not stopping until the three were united in a flailing mess of arms.

Jay hugged his two young friends close to his chest with strong arms. After a moment he pushed them away but kept hold of Harry, forcing him round in a circle a few times, scrutinizing every inch of his body. Satisfied that there was no immediate danger, Jay dragged him back into another tight hug.

"Thanks, Draco." The white haired boy murmured, looking up to meet silver eyes.

"What for?"

"Takin' care of him. Returnin' him in one piece."

Draco smiled warmly. If it had been anyone else, he would have been offended, accusing them of thinking that he wasn't able to do his job as guardian properly, but the Angel knew Jay didn't mean it like that. "Of course."

Feeling eyes on the back of his head, Harry reluctantly let go of his childhood friend, turning to see who it was. He smiled as the twins strolled over, having left their bags with their parents. They clapped a hand over Harry and Draco's shoulders and nodded to Jay.

"Ah, Mohawk boy."

"Explosion Twins, ginger as ever, I see."

"What can we say?" Fred smiled, a gleam in his eyes.

"Unlike yourself," George continued.

"We rock the natural look." Fred's smile grew into a stereotypical trout-pout as he clicked in a zigzag, diva style. The fun shining in his brown eyes faltered as the voice of his normally timid younger sister carried across the station.

"There he is, Mum, there he is, look!" She squealed as Harry met her staring eyes, offering her a small smile, which she returned with a blush. "Look, Mum! I can see-" She scowled as her mum cut her off, disciplining her about rudeness.

Molly Weasley looked up, but towards her twin sons, and went as if to make her way towards them. They both shook their heads in unison, knowing that if she got any closer, Jay would end up interrogated about the demon sport he'd taught Harry.

A moment later, the small group were joined by Hermione and Neville, who had broken away from the crowds. Jay raised his eyebrows as Neville stretched out a hand but shook it anyway. He turned to Hermione, his interest suddenly piqued.

"An' what's a pretty girl like you doin' with bad influences like these?" he smiled cockily, tossing his chin in Harry and Draco's direction.

Hermione blushed, looking around at her friends, and made an observation. "I guess this lot were in need of a feminine touch."

Jay burst out laughing, "Even with Dracinda around?"

They all dissolved into laughter and Draco stuck his hip out, planting his hand on it moodily as he glared around the group, the look ruined by the smile curving up the corners of his pale lips.

"Oh, by the way." Harry spoke up, remembering something. He pointed around the group. "This is Hermione, Neville and the twins, Fred and George, who you've met. Guys, this is Jay."

Jay made an elaborate combination between a bow and a curtsey. "I'm the big bro, so cause any trouble wi' these two, an' I'll come burn your houses down." He let a maniacal glint shine in his light honey, almost yellow eyes.

"He's joking!" Harry was quick to add, before his brain could catch up with his mouth. "I think he is anyway..."

"An' reminds me, Mum's on..." He looked around, scanning over the heads of the crowd, an impossible feat had he not been wearing deadly looking platform boots. "A train...somewhere."

Hermione shot Harry an inquisitive look and he bumped his shoulder into Jay's playfully.

"Oh god, no, there's no blood relations, I still swear this one is an alien."

Jay cackled, attempting a stereotypical evil villain accent, but succeeded in just sounding Italian. "Humanity is beneath me."

"Talking of blood relations..." Draco spoke up, voice full of surprise.

The entire group spun to see a pig, walrus and horse pushing their way through the crowds. Harry let out a sigh; why were his cousin, uncle and aunt here?

A moment later and Vernon was stood at the edge of the circle of friends, puffing his chest out, glaring furiously down at Harry with a moustached purple face.

"U-Uncle Vernon," Harry ducked his head, staring down at his feet. The action shocked everyone but Draco and Jay. Everyone was used to seeing, strong, brave Harry, this submissive boy looked like a stranger. "I tried to ring the house but it went to voicemail. I left a message saying that I wouldn't need a ride from the station, did you not get it?"

Vernon's face grew even darker with rage and instinctively everyone moved around Harry, supporting him against this angry, large man.

"How dare you use that tone with me, boy." The man spat, hands twitching by his sides. "You know exactly what's happened. That school of yours sent an _owl_, with a letter, rudely reminding all parents and carers to safely transport their children from Kings Cross." Spittle flew from his fat lips as he spoke.

Gulping, knowing he was going to be in a lot of trouble when he got back to Privet Drive for something he hadn't even done, Harry shied back, hitting into the strong chests of his brother and guardian. He grabbed for their hands, finding new strength. He looked up to his uncle, but didn't meet his eyes.

"I'm very sorry, Uncle. I didn't know they would do such a thing." He spoke softly, pretending to be on Vernon's side, knowing it would lessen his punishment. "I do have another way of getting home. Draco and I can take the trains, I'm sure you would prefer that to us being in your car?"

Confusion clouded Vernon's face, his tiny brain trying to process what was being said. He bared his teeth as something clicked in his mind. "_He's_ staying with us again?"

Draco couldn't help it; he lifted his eyes away from Harry to beam mockingly at the man, who growled.

Without another word, Harry's uncle turned around, stomping loudly back to Petunia and Dudley, leading them back through the entrance of the train station.

The twins, Neville and Hermione stared at Harry in bewilderment. Jay and Draco threw their arms over his shoulders.

"Oh Harry, that's your uncle? What a rude man, someone should teach him some manners." Hermione said, still shocked from what she had seen.

Neville caught Draco and Harry with his concerned eyes. "Are you two going to be okay in a house with that man?" He could clearly see what kind of person Harry's uncle was, and knew the summer for his two friends wouldn't be the pleasantest.

"We'll be fine, don't worry, okay? We'll keep in touch with all of you."

"Alright, tell us if you need anything, and the magnificent Weasley twins will come to the rescue!" Fred exclaimed, the smile plastered on his face looking a little too forced. He'd thought pureblood parents were bad, but Harry's relatives seemed to be on a whole new level.

"Hope you have – er – a good holiday." Said Hermione, uncertainly, attempting a small smile.

Smiling around the group, Draco and Harry turned and left, following Jay through the crowds.

"It will be alright, you know." Draco murmured to his best friend reassuringly.

"An' ya can always escape round t' mine!" Jay called over his shoulder.

On the train, it was easy to spot Frankie and after several hugs, the two wizards prepared themselves to return to muggle life.

...

That night, after much deliberation, Harry decided that he and Draco would return to the Dursleys instead of accepting Jay's offer of staying round his house. If they did, the Dursleys would get suspicious, and Harry didn't feel like letting them know he had a normal, non-magical friend; he knew that that wouldn't go down well.

On the walk to Privet Drive, Harry voiced his thoughts after much prodding from his Angel. "Is it weird that I'm more scared of Uncle Vernon than Voldemort? That it was a hell of a lot easier to go charging down that trapdoor than it is to walk into that house?"

Draco wrapped an arm around him, holding him close and offering some warmth against the night air. He absently patted his pocket, double checking he had both of their shrunken trunks.

"I mean, I know that you're there to make sure nothing happens," Harry continued. "But honestly, the man terrifies me."

"That's understandable. The things he's done...I'd be surprised if you were anything less than terrified. Just remember that he hasn't been able to lay so much as a finger on you since the day that I arrived last summer. There are still some issues that need fixing, sure, but I'll always do everything I can to protect you."

Harry thought for a long moment, for once willingly letting his past into his thoughts. "Why do you think he does it? Petunia and Dudley too, for that matter, they're involved in it as well."

Shrugging sadly, Draco let out a small sigh. "Because they're just as scared of you as you are of them. You have this ability, these powers...I suppose that they're frightened of what might happen if they didn't...keep you under control, for want of a better word. It might also be that they see you as inferior, not human or some bullshit, just because you're different to them. You know what they're like, they'd do anything to seem perfectly normal, and you disrupted that normality. They're also angry that you were just left on their doorstep, and they were forced to take you in, and as they had no one to blame they blamed you. It's a whole mixture of reasons, just keep in mind that none of them are actually your fault."

The brunette went silent again, lost in thought, but moved closer to his Angel as number four came into view.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Harry knocked once on the door while Draco resized their trunks. He blinked in surprise when Petunia answered, a sickly smile pulling up her lips, revealing a mouthful of horse-like teeth.

"Hello, boys." She said in a voice that instantly put both friends on full alert. "It's Malcolm isn't it? Or Morton?"

Draco felt uneasy as she stared down at him. "Malfoy."

"Well, why don't you go and take your things up to the spare bedroom, Malfoy, and Potter go through to the front room, your uncle wishes to talk to you."

Harry caught Draco's eye but let out a reluctant sigh, what choice did they have?

Draco gave a hesitant nod and grabbed a trunk in each hand, easily taking both up the stairs. _Merlin, I love Angel strength_, he thought to himself.

He made his way across the landing, hearing loud, booming snores coming from Dudley's room. He stopped suddenly, sensitive ears focused downstairs where he swore he could hear someone raising their voice. He was met by silence and so shook his head, going into his and Harry's room and leaving the trunks at the foot of the familiar bed.

Suddenly, a burst of pain cracked across his skull and his knees gave way as an invisible force slammed into his gut.

Back on his feet within a second, he lunged for the door, at the top of the stairs in the next step, and leapt over the stairs banister, landing directly outside the front room door.

He tried the handle but it wouldn't give. His eyes took in the fresh dents and the odd nail end pocking through the wood and knew that several locks had been haphazardly hammered in place, and that each one was bolted shut.

He threw his weight against the thick, solid door but the heavy locks wouldn't give.

He yelled profanities and cried Harry's name, feeling on his legs, arms, stomach, head each thump and crash that resonated from the room.

The sound of whimpering and his own name being screamed filled the Angel's ears.

...

_**TBC  
><strong>**Onyx Claws~#**_


	21. Fists and help

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**Beta-ed by the wonderful LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_

_**My muses for this chapter were influenced by Simple Plan's 'No Love'.**_

_**I'm so sorry about how long it's taken, I actually had the idea for this chapter and the first drafts complete within a couple days of the last update, but then real life raised its big, ugly head and got in the way of finishing it. My brother and his girlfriend are moving out and getting their first house together, so I've been helping them buy things, shift furniture, fill paperwork and all that stuff. My mum and step dad are also going through a messy break up, which obviously takes up a lot of time. Oh, and I'm starting 6th form (for all you Americans, that's the thing we English usually do after upper/high school) in three days and have been switching between panicking, pretending to do my induction homework (and watching Naruto instead) and trying to force my brain to relearn all the things that I haven't studied since May. Fun fun fun!  
><strong>_

_**Oooh! **_**PLEASE READ THIS**_**! now that I have your attention, I was wondering if you guys could do something for me? See, I was reading this fic a while ago and forgot to follow it and now I can't find it again for the life of me. It was an AU where Harry and Draco don't know each other. Harry has an accident and Draco finds him and takes him to hospital where it's discovered Harry has amnesia. Draco lies to the hospital and pretends he knows who Harry is, and christens him 'Angel'. They then go on to live together and have loads of cute fluffy moments (including a masquerade party where Harry dresses as an angel). If you know the name of this fic or the author, please let me know, either drop me a message or write it in a review. Thanks :)  
><strong>_

_**And now...onto the next one...**_

_**...**_

He could not remember the last time he'd felt so terrified.

He was on the floor, a broken, battered pile of skin and bones, and his saviour, the only person who could save him, wasn't there.

A foot connected again, this time with his hip, and at the same time a shriek emitted from the other side of the door. But it wasn't a cry of pain; instead it was an unmistakable shout of victory.

...

Unsuccessfully, Draco tried once more to break down the door by throwing himself at it. He knew even before he'd done it that it would be in vain. He knew one thing that would work; the claws he'd used to tear apart Voldemort's barrier. If they could shred magic like tissue paper, the door stood no chance.

He just had to make them appear.

Focusing his panicked mind, he tried to ignore the heart wrenching whimpers from inside the room and placed his attention on his hands. He tried to will his nails to grow, in a similar way to how he wills his wings into existence.

He swore he saw them sharpen ever so slightly, but a shock of pain through his knee broke his concentration. Letting his anger lend him strength, he tried once more.

He vocalised his triumph as he launched for the door, wordlessly telling Harry to just hold on. His Angel was coming.

...

It was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen, made even more unclear by his quickly fogging mind, and he knew that he would never be able to recount exactly what happened.

One moment he heard a splintering, cracking noise fill the room and in the next the door was laying in pieces on the floor. His darkening gaze fell upon a beautiful sight, a sight which would never fail to fill him with hope.

A lean, strong frame held in a slight crouch, one arm raised angularly and the other poised by his side, ready to attack. The nails of each finger were extended into long, elegant and yet visibly razor sharp claws. All prettiness was lost from his pale face, his features tighter and harsher, but he remained beautiful, even as he snarled quietly, lips pulled back to reveal perfect, white and oddly sharp looking teeth. Rage seemed to roll off of him in waves, almost tangible, electrifying the air. He was only in the doorway for a flicker of time, barely a second, but the image of him stood there would forever be imprinted into Harry's mind.

An arm was sent arching through the air, its aim straight and true as it slashed across the neck, shoulder and chest of the only other occupant in the room. Vernon cried out, doubling over in pain, only to have his head cracked back up by a high kick to the chin.

Draco felt his heavy boot connect solidly and instinctively bent his knee to perform a double kick. The man fell back, crashing forcefully to the floor.

He wanted to hurt Vernon, wanted to hurt him so badly, even contemplated killing him, but he knew he couldn't. Harry was hurt, and he had to use the opportunity to get him out of there and to safety.

Carefully, he slipped his arms under his Tutela, cradling him against his chest as he lifted him from the floor. He sent one last look to Vernon to make sure he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon, resisting the urge to kick him as he passed out of the room.

He made his way to the front door, gingerly shifting Harry's weight so he could turn the handle. A heavy, staggered breath caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder, scanning the hall for the source of the sound. His eyes travelled up the stairs, landing on a large boy clad in pyjamas, an unreadable expression on his tired face.

He raised his hand and Draco saw his wand clutched in the stumpy fingers. Dudley motioned with it, clearly in offering, and Draco gave a short nod. Somehow he managed to catch it as it was thrown down the stairs. He quickly regained a strong hold on Harry and stepped through the door, looking back once only to see the other boy had vanished.

...

Lights turned on one by one in the narrow house as the occupants rushed to the frantic, heavy knocking on the front door.

Draco pushed his way into the building as soon as the door was cracked open, throwing a garbled, nonsensical explanation over his shoulder.

"D-Draco? What, slow do- oh god! Harry!" Frankie rushed to follow the blonde, darting into the kitchen to grab something from under the sink before joining him in the living room along with her son.

Draco gently laid Harry down on the large, soft couch, carefully placing a cushion under his head before kneeling by his side.

"When...when we got back...Vernon he-he..." He managed to choke out, but he knew the others would understand.

Frankie knelt beside him, bringing the thing she had gotten from the kitchen, which Draco could now see was a first aid box, before her. "Jay, go get some hot water. Don't panic, alright?"

Jay left with a small nod, eyes huge but oddly blank, as if he wasn't allowing his mind to process the situation.

The woman turned her attention to Draco, about to instruct him to raise Harry's head above heart level, but was surprised to see he was already doing it.

"He hasn't fallen unconscious at all, so I think this wound here," The young boy gestured to a large, bloody patch on the side of his Tutela's head. "Is fortunately just a surface wound."

Shooting him a surprised look, Frankie nodded her agreement once she'd done her own inspection of the area. "Press this to it, stop the bleeding, then when it's calmed add some of that antiseptic liquid to the water Jay's fetching and clean it up as best you can." Frankie instructed as she probed the rest of Harry's body, checking for any other serious injuries.

When Frankie turned her body away from him to look at a swelling around Harry's knee, Draco drew his wand from where he'd tucked it into his boot and murmured a simple pain relief spell over Harry, not daring to do anything else with Frankie so nearby. Harry visibly relaxed and his breath came easier, but thankfully Frankie didn't seem to notice.

Jay came back at that moment and placed the bowl of hot water between his mother and friend before falling back, hovering, unsure of what to do.

Frankie saw that Draco was still occupied with the head injury and so took the antiseptic from the floor and reassigned the task of mixing it into the water to Jay.

With Jay focused entirely on the bowl and Frankie on her son, Draco took the opportunity to cast a general yet strong healing charm over the boy on the couch, knowing he might not get another opportunity anytime soon.

"I...I could have sworn he'd badly twisted his knee." Frankie muttered to herself, confused, once she turned back to Harry.

Draco shrugged slightly, and together the two worked, nursing over Harry until the early hours of the morning.

...

"How are you?"

Harry opened sleepy eyes, looking down from the couch to see Draco looking up at him from the floor. "Better. Especially since you cast all those other spells once Frankie and Jay had left. We really need to thank Severus for removing the tracking spells again."

"He didn't. That spell automatically gets put back onto the wands every time a student leaves the Hogwarts grounds." Draco murmured.

"But...won't you get in trouble? For using magic underage?"

Draco gave a small, sad smile. "I'll get a letter telling me not to do it again and a small fine at the most. They can see I was only using healing charms so they won't really care, the Ministry has got much bigger things to worry about."

Settling back down onto the cushions, Harry let his arm fall off the edge of the sofa, feeling blindly for Draco's hand and tangling their fingers together.

"Do you forgive me?" The blonde whispered, barely audibly.

Harry frowned, rolling onto his side so he could meet the other's stormy gaze. "What for?"

"For...this." He gestured up and down Harry's body. "I left you alone with him."

The brunette frowned, a dark, unnameable feeling building inside him, but he suppressed it. "I agreed to go through and see him while you took the bags. It was a mistake on both of our parts."

"I-I know but...I should have been quicker, stronger, more prepared. I mean I'd even left my wand upstairs! So much for having fantastic, inhuman instincts."

Trying desperately to change the subject, or at least steer the conversation to an easier path, Harry asked, "How about you, how do you feel? I know you hurt too."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Draco sighed, dragging a hand through his silvery locks before leaning up, coming to sit cross-legged in front of the sofa. "It just seems that whenever things seem to be going alright, something else comes along and proves I'm not good enough to be you're guardian."

Harry dropped his hand, sitting up, not bothering to hide the wince from the aching of his body for he knew the other could feel it. "No. You weren't good enough. I got hurt, and you got hurt." He reached out, cupping Draco's face as he bowed it towards the floor, forcing him to look up. "But it's not your fault alone. We both made mistakes. I should have seen it coming, I mean, I have known that man for over ten years. Things go wrong sometimes, it's part of life. We just have to deal with our mistakes and learn from them so that they're never repeated, okay? Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." The Angel leant up, resting their foreheads together. "But I promise I-"

"Don't make me promises you can't keep." Harry cut him off harshly. He watched as Draco recoiled, as if he'd been stung. His eyes flew wide, shocked at himself for what he'd said. "Dray, I'm so, so sorry. I know you have never lied to me or made me false promises. I know that and I'm sorry but...so far you've kept every single promise you've ever made. If that changes...I just...I've got to be able to trust in that."

Draco moved back to him, taking one of the tan hands in both of his pale ones. Harry's words still hurt, but he could now understand, he knew what had to be done. "I can't promise that you'll never get hurt, or that nothing bad will ever happen, but I can promise that I will always do my best, and give everything to try and prevent those things."

"Thank you." Harry murmured, closing his eyes as soft lips pressed to his forehead, leaning into the strong, lean hand that was now cupping his cheek.

After a moment Harry pulled his legs up, silently, almost sheepishly offering a place for the other to sit. "Were you on the floor all night?"

"Yes, there was no way I was going to leave you alone down here. It wasn't too bad, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and you needed to rest." He opened up his arms, knowing if Harry accepted things were alright between them. He suppressed a sigh of relief as Harry crawled onto his lap, fitting perfectly in his arms.

It was at that moment that Jay stumbled into the room, dressed in the usual tattered jogging bottoms and ripped top he wore to bed, his hair untamed and falling into his face. Seeing him made Harry notice Draco's oversized band tee and faded pyjama shorts combination, and his own outfit of a lose vest top over shorts.

"Did...did you dress me? And does that mean you _undressed_ me?" Harry exclaimed with a lot less dignity than he would have liked.

"Hey, relax Haz, Blondie did all tha', I din' see anythin'." Jay said with a wink and an eyebrow wiggle to make Harry squirm.

Draco shot a glare at Jay, scolding his immaturity. "You fell asleep Haz, but I wanted you to be comfortable and didn't think it was right to wake you up and make you get dressed yourself."

"No need to explain yourself Dray, it's not like it's anything you ain't seen before." Draco gave him a wide-eyed look at that but Harry flicked his head back, motioning at the now squirming Jay, and his Angel soon shared his mischievous grin of revenge.

"Thanks, Jay, by the way." Draco said with a warm smile.

The white-haired boy gave a crooked smile in return, rubbing a hand over his eyes to wake himself up more. "For the clothes? No problem."

"Well, yeah, but that's not what I meant, I meant for being such a good friend to Haz, being there for him, you know?"

Chapped lips spread into a larger grin and Jay nodded his understanding. "Yeah I get ya. An' I'm glad he's also got you. You're good for him. An' don' beat yaself up over makin' mistakes, alrigh'? I ain't known ya for as long as I've known him, bu' I know ya well enough to know tha' you're blamin' yourself."

Harry gave a small cough, arching a brow at Jay. He rolled his yellowy brown eyes back at him as he answered his silent question.

"Alrigh' Haz, I won't beat maself up either." He watched as Draco curiously sniffed the air and he breathed deeply himself, the smell of buttered toast triggering a memory. "Oh! Mum sen' me through to tell you two to ge' you're arses to breakfast."

Jay leant down, offering a hand to help Harry stand, whispering into his ear as he did so. "You're okay, though, yeah? Tell me if you aren't, righ'?"

"Yes, hun, I'm fine." Harry smiled at his 'brother', taking his hand.

As they made their way to the kitchen the sound of Frankie's clear, almost posh sounding voice floated through the air. "I did not say that at all, I asked you to check on Harry and see if he felt up to eating anything." She tapped her son lightly on the shoulder with the wooden spoon in her hand as he neared.

"That's wha' I said!" Jay pouted, claiming a plate of eggs and toast.

The young woman rolled her eyes and handed out the rest of the plates. "Good to see you up and about, Harry, Remind me after breakfast and I'll change those bandages for you. Although, you seem to be healing up very quickly." No one noticed the look she shot to Draco.

"I have you to thank for that, if it wasn't for you and Draco, I wouldn't be doing anywhere near as well." He beamed at the only mother like figure he'd ever known.

"Yes, thanks a lot, Frankie, for everything." Draco said, looked up with grateful smile. Meeting her soft brown eyes made something he had been wondering about since last night push its way to the front of his mind. "You know a lot about first aid?"

Frankie laughed lightly, "Trust these two to have not told you. I'm a surgeon, Draco. Did you never wonder why I'm not often around the house?"

Surprised, Draco shook his head. "When I was living with my parents it was usual for them to be away for the majority of the time, I guess I never questioned it because that's the normal for me."

"Oh, I see, I guessed that you were from quite an upper-class background, that your parents were big names in the world of business or something like that, so yes, naturally they'd be the busy type." She missed the look that passed between Harry and Draco at her words. "But I could ask you the same thing, first aid?"

"I had our school nurse teach me some basic first aid, I thought it would come in handy, you know what Harry's like." A knowing look settled on the faces of everyone in the room. "My godfather also taught me more...traditional ways of healing, herbal remedies and such, and it may sound silly but I like to think they also play their part in helping him recover quicker." He added the last part to put Frankie's mind at ease; he knew that she was suspicious of how quickly Harry had gotten better, and as some of the rare few natural 'cures' that muggles knew about sometimes worked, he hoped this would be enough explanation to stop her delving deeper into the subject.

She smiled happily, "Glad to see you taking the initiative, that's really thoughtful of you. Considering a career in medicine, then?"

"I-I've never really thought about it. We don't leave school until we're seventeen, a lot can change in five years."

"Oh! Reminds me..." Jay said, jumping from his chair. "I almost forgo' you'd just had ya birthday. As it was only a few weeks ago I though' I'd wai' 'til I see ya to give you ya present, so I could see the delighted look on ya face."

Harry's eyes sparkled at that and Draco sent him an accusing look.

"You know what he's got me, don't you?" He smiled at Harry's excited nod, seeing Jay return to the kitchen out of the corner of his eye, a package in his hands.

Frankie held up a hand, motioning for Jay to wait a minute. "Did you do anything for your birthday?"

"It fell on a week day, unfortunately, so we had lessons, and we're not allowed to leave the school grounds. But Harry snuck into the kitchens and made up a picnic and we had a surprise dinner by this big oak tree by the lake, my favourite place in the school." His eyes brightened in memory. "He gave me this beautiful silver photo album, and had the cover engraved with the same pattern that's on the music box he gave me for Christmas, the one he managed to recover from my old home. There's only a few pages full at the moment, but he says he's making it his mission to take more photos in future." He slung his arm over Harry's shoulders and unconsciously nuzzled his cheek against the other's.

Harry grinned, "Photos are good for keeping track of memories, and memories are priceless, and that's the best kind of gift you can get for a posh rich kid." He echoed Jay's words from last year, sharing a knowing look with the pierced boy that made Draco splutter indignantly.

"Talkin' o' presents, here ya go." Jay tossed the parcel in his hands to the blonde, who deftly caught the squishy gift.

He poked the present a couple of times curiously before neatly unwrapping the paper. Confused, he stood up, grabbing onto a part of the revealed material and shaking it out in front of him. All was silent in the room for a split second, before the four burst out into loud laughter.

In his hands he held a pair of white skinny jeans with a pretty floral pattern of pastel pinks, purples and greens. He knew that they were female jeans before he'd even checked the label. He laughed again, a wide grin pulling up the corners of his pale lips, humour lighting his gray eyes. He threw his arms around Jay dramatically.

"Merci bien, c'est vraiment gentil de ta part. Tu es tellement attentionné et généreux, mon ami." Draco mock-gushed.

"You better no' have just insulted me, frog."

Draco pouted, placing a hand on his hip. "You think so poorly of me."

Harry laughed at his friends, picking up one of the trouser legs for a closer inspection. His eyes automatically flickered over to Draco, his eyes dragging up the long, muscled, and yet still graceful legs that were on display due to the borrowed shorts that hung loosely round his hips. He shook his head, refocusing his attention to Jay.

"You do realise Dray will actually wear these, right?"

...

Way too soon, the wizards found themselves walking back to Privet Drive. Harry knew he had to be back by the A.M hours to cook the Dursley's breakfast, or there would be trouble.

They frowned as they neared the house, seeing the family car missing, long, black tyre streaks across the driveway in its place. It was obvious they'd left in a hurry.

Draco walked around the bottom of the house, looking into the living room and then scaling the fence to check the kitchen window at the back. When he reappeared beside Harry he shook his head. Each room had been empty.

Harry turned confused, nearly but not quite worried eyes on him and the blonde shrugged, walking over to the garage and cupping his hands together. Harry took the silent offer, hoisting himself up onto the garage roof. From there he could look into Dudley's room, which he did, and was surprised to see it also empty. Carefully, he stepped onto the windowsill, edging across until he could just about peak into his uncle and aunt's room.

Once back onto the more stable garage roof, he looked down to Draco, "They're all gone."

The brunette reached down, offering Draco a hand up onto the garage and the two shared a shrug before climbing higher, mutually deciding to make their way over to Jay's rooftop.

...

That evening, the best friends went back to number four, both sighing dejectedly when they saw the return of the car, which consequently marked the return of the Dursleys.

They crept into the house on silent feet, fully intent on hiding out in their room, at least until the morning, and they would have gotten away with it, if Petunia hadn't of chosen that exact moment to emerge from the kitchen.

"They're back! Vernon, the freaks!" She shrieked in an octave high enough to shatter glass.

Thunderous footsteps thudded above their heads and a moment later Vernon was crashing his way down the stair case. He stopped at the bottom, purple-faced and panting, sweat running down his ugly, anger contorted face.

Draco stepped forward, simultaneously pulling Harry back so that his Tutela was shielded by his own body.

"Oh, there's no point in defending that brat, you piece of shit, it's you I'm after." Fat lips pulled back and spittle flew from between yellowed teeth.

Drawing his wand, Draco allowed a bored expression to fall across his face. "I'm not in the mood."

"Pathetic freak, nothing without that stick, are you?"

Harry took the wand as it was passed to him, watching as Draco shrugged, holding up his empty hands.

"I'm a small, defenceless, twelve year old boy, but if you insist." He rolled his shoulders. "Seems you get off on beating kids around, heh?"

Vernon snarled, fists balling and quivering by his sides. "What did you say?" he demanded. When he got no answer he growled, going for a different question. "See this?" he said, gesturing at his chest.

Draco curled a lip in disgust. Vernon had come down the stairs bare-chested, his bulging, hairy, whale-like physique on display to the world. "Of course, it's a little hard to miss; you are taking up the majority of the hallway, after all. How about you, what do you see? I wonder if you've see your feet at all in the last ten years?"

Had he been human, he wouldn't have been able to see the fist before it landed on his face, but fortunately he wasn't. He raised an arm so that his forearm was parallel to his face and braced for impact.

The fist connected hard, fast, solid. Draco saw the fist collide, could feel a soft pressure and the roughness of large, hairy knuckles. His arm stayed completely still, not giving at all to the momentum of the punch. Vernon might as well have just hit a brick wall. The large man howled in pain, clutching at his fist in agony.

"I'm _really_ not in the mood." The Angel muttered darkly.

Petunia shrieked again, piercing the air. "What did you do to him? You trying to put him in hospital again, you dirty freak?"

"Again?"

The woman flapped her hands, flustered. "Of course! We had to rush him to hospital after you attacked him like a rabid dog! See those bandages? He was in there _all night_! You ought to be put down, you vile creature, nearly ripped his throat out!"

Draco squinted, seeing a couple of loose, thin bandages draped around Vernon's neck and shoulders, as if the doctor had put them on just to shut up the patient, which was probably accurate. _So that's what he had been trying to get me to look at_, he thought.

"Nearly? Damn, I'll try harder next time." His voice was as cold as the ice of his eyes.

Vernon snarled again, making Harry and Draco wonder if his tiny brain had just given up on words.

The Angel reached out, neatly grabbing hold of the man's damaged fist and snapped it back, squeezing the bones together. He knew he was strong but he was still surprised to see him fall to his knees with the force of the pain.

Not letting go, he bent the wrist back further. "Leave. Us. Alone." At each word he tightened his grip.

The man whimpered, begging to be let go, for it to end, and Draco couldn't help but laugh harshly in his face.

"How often has Harry asked for you to leave him alone? Did you?"

Harry sighed deeply, knowing now was the time to step in. As much as he wanted to let Draco do as he pleased, he knew that resorting to violence would make them no better than his tormentor of nearly eleven years.

Draco felt a calm hand land on his shoulder and immediately all hatred and tension washed out of his body. His grip softened and then released as he turned to wrap an arm around Harry's narrow waist, smiling at the boy warmly. "Ready to go upstairs, then?"

"Sure, I feel like I've spent enough time in the presence of people I hate."

Calmly, they made their way up the stairs, leaving behind a cowering Vernon and a hysterical Petunia.

Halfway up the stairs the wizards saw Dudley ducking back from the landing, clearly having witnessed the whole thing. As he went back into his room he looked over his shoulder, shooting them an unreadable expression.

...

The next morning Dudley was up uncharacteristically early. Draco caught him in the hallway on the way to the kitchen, stopping him and motioning for Harry to continue on.

"What do you want?" Dudley asked nastily.

Furrowing his brow, Draco fixed him with a pointed look. "You helped us the other day, why?"

The large boy scoffed, laughing in the blonde's face. "You honestly think I would help someone like _you_? I was helping my dad."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm on my dad's side, even more so since you tried to kill him and nearly broke his fist."

The blonde fixed him with a strange look. "I...I didn't – it doesn't matter. Explain yourself."

"Although I agree with my dad, I know the police wouldn't. I knew without your wand you would be forced to take Harry to the hospital, and once questions started being asked, I knew dad would get in trouble."

Draco's eyes turned cold. "So you snuck into my room, rummaged through my things and gave me my wand so that I could fix him up myself and wouldn't have to go to the hospital?"

"I saw it sticking out of the pocket of the jacket that was on the floor, but yes."

The Gryffindor shoved passed him angrily, biting out a harsh "You disgust me" before making his way over to the oven, where Harry was busy working over the hob.

Without even looking at him, Harry could sense the other's foul mood. "I take it we still hate him?"

"Big time."

Harry laughed darkly, falling into silence as he finished cooking and dished up. He joined Draco on top of the kitchen counter, silently counting down in his head, knowing it would only be a few seconds before a demand or complaint was made.

"I want more bacon."

Harry raised a hand, running it over Draco's forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles caused by the Angel's icy glare at his cousin. He laughed quietly as he got a moody pout in return.

"Potter, you heard him." Whined Petunia in her nasally voice before switching on a sickly sweet tone to address Dudley. "We must feed you up while we've got the chance...I don't like the sound of that school food..."

"Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when _I_ was at Smeltings," said Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?"

When Draco looked squarely at Harry, puffing his cheeks out and making his eyes appear dull and stupid, Harry had to bite his lip, hard, to keep quiet. He watched as Draco jumped, shocked, releasing the air in his mouth and clapping a hand over his lip, glaring at him in a 'what the fuck did you do that for?' way. That made the brunette lose it and a small giggle tumbled out of his mouth. He quickly busied himself with dishing more bacon onto Dudley's plate before anyone could notice. The elder Dursley's seemed to have either forgotten last night or were too scared to say or do anything about it, and although Harry appreciated Draco's efforts to lighten the atmosphere, he was determined to keep the tentative peace.

"Pass the frying pan." Dudley demanded nastily, clearly not happy with the amount Harry had forked onto his plate.

"You've forgotten the mag-" A long, pale hand was clapped over his mouth before he could say 'magic word'.

His eyes shone with thanks as he looked round to his best friend, grateful to be saved the trouble that mentioning such a taboo word would have created.

Draco sighed inwardly, praying for the day that Harry would be free of his relatives. He took the time to meet Vernon's eyes for a split second, letting a dangerous glint flicker through his stormy orbs, daring him to say something. He couldn't stop the taunting, cruel smile that spread across his lips as he took in the long, raw-looking cuts that ran across the man's throat and down to the collar of his business shirt, where he knew they carried on to the tip of his shoulder.

...

_**TBC  
><strong>**Onyx Claws~#**_


	22. Surprises and escapes

_**For a summary, warnings and disclaimers, see chapter 1.**_

_**A/N-**_

_**Beta-ed by the wonderful LadyGreenleafofMirkwood.**_

**_Influenced by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's 'Pull Me Back'.  
><em>**

**_Sorry about the delay, I've been having issues with my internet lately, so haven't been able to get on to writing and publishing this. I'm also having to spend a lot of my time focusing on __academics. Yay 6th form -_- Also my health has been terrible lately, being a sickly person doesn't tend to spur productivity, unfortunately._**

**_But for all of you who've stuck with it and have been able to put up with me...I hope you enjoy..._**

_..._

Harry woke to the pleasant feeling of someone running their fingers through his hair. After a while he opened his eyes to see Draco hovering over him.

Draco watched as large, vibrantly green eyes fluttered open, blinking owlishly up at him. He swooped down, pecking a light kiss to a tan cheek and smiled, "Happy birthday, Darl." His smile turned apologetic. "Sorry to wake you, I just want some time with you before you have to get up and cook, because I'm selfish."

"I'm selfish too. I've been awake for five minutes, but I was enjoying the attention." He grinned up at him before gently pushing him aside so he could sit up.

"Oh, so devious, I feel used." Draco stuck his tongue out before half rolling off the bed in order to feel underneath it, searching for the present he had stashed there.

Harry's eyes lit up as he was presented with the package. He tore into the neat paper, revealing a small jewellery box. Inside were three bracelet charms. The first was a tiny, old-fashioned, silver key, two delicate wings protruding from the spine. The second was a black bishop chess piece, carved painstakingly from what looked like onyx. The third was exquisitely intricate, an exact replica of the mirror of Erised, none of the details lost despite the charm being roughly the size of his thumb nail.

"They're so beautiful, thank you." He held his wrist out, smiling adoringly as his Angel slotted the charms onto the bracelet that he never took off his wrist.

Draco returned the smile, clasping the hand in his own once he'd finished. "I'm glad you like them. I didn't mean to steal your idea of giving memories, it just happened."

"No, it's perfect. I love it." He showed his appreciation by placing a kiss to Draco's cheek, similar to the one he'd received earlier that morning.

"I'm sure you'll get spoiled by Hermione, Neville and the twins when we see them again, too. I'm surprised they haven't written yet, actually."

Harry gave a small carefree shrug. "It doesn't overly matter, you know how things are, people get busy, or owls get lost, or adults make stupid decisions...there's no point in worrying."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Draco murmured his thoughts out loud. "I wanted to do something today, something special, but..."

Harry sighed, squeezing his hand. "I know, but we can't leave the house today. It doesn't matter though. Now come on, I have to go feed the Dursley's."

...

"Now, as we all know, today is a very important day." Vernon announced over breakfast.

Draco nudged Harry's shoulder, whispering "my Darl's birthday" into his ear to try and lighten the mood.

Harry only half listened as Vernon prattled on about some business dinner they were hosting, more interested in trying to steal some food for him and Draco. He knew that Draco would happily step in and make it so that he could eat properly, but old habits die hard and he would rather pick at scraps then start another argument.

Vernon rattled on about some schedule, his wife and son hanging on his every word. "At eight o'clock?"

"I'll be in the lounge," said Petunia promptly. "Waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."

"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile.

Draco acted out a dry heave as the large boy practiced his welcome to the guests. Harry nodded his agreement, his appetite falling fast.

The brunette remembered his part in the welcoming party that was as fake as Jay's hair. "Me and Dray will be in the kitchen, making the dinner."

"And it better be perfect," Petunia shrieked. "As the guests think I'm the one cooking. I don't want any dents in my reputation."

Harry looked to the ceiling, begging it to give him strength.

"How the hell did they survive without you?" Draco muttered.

Nodding to the area of the kitchen counter that the Durlsey's liked to use to dump random bits of paper, letters and business cards, Harry pointed out the array of takeaway menus, each one looking severely dog-eared from constant usage.

Vernon nodded proudly to his wife. "Exactly. I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight fifteen-"

Harry cut in before his aunt could open her mouth, "I'll be finishing up then we'll head upstairs?"

Petunia nodded smugly, "And I'll announce dinner."

"May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman.

Draco imitated him, offering his arm to Harry, who threw on a petrified expression before pretended to do a runner. They collapsed together in silent laughter, glad for the Dursley's current obliviousness.

"And _you_?" Vernon asked viciously.

"We'll be in our room, making no noise and pretending we're not there." Said Harry dully, as if reading from a script.

"Precisely. Now we should aim to get in a few good compliments..."

Harry nudged Draco, "My, what an incredible hairline you have, it's receding before my very eyes."

The blonde grinned back. "Wow, how confident of you, to even _think_ of wearing that skirt with those shoes..."

"We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about _you_." Dudley chimed in.

This was too much for Harry and Draco and they ducked under the table so no one could see them doubled over with laughter. They emerged again, wiping tears of mirth from their eyes.

"We'll be in our room, making no noise and pretending we're not there." They droned simultaneously.

"Too right you will." Vernon said forcefully. Something flashed in his eyes and he pinned his nephew with a look that only came out when he temporarily forgot about his unwanted houseguest. "Now get this house cleaned to within an inch of its life, or I'll make sure you get put within an inch of _yours_."

Draco hissed, swiping at the man, planning to reopen the deep cuts that were only now beginning to heal across the thick neck, but Harry grabbed him from behind, locking his tan arms around the blonde's torso. Draco knew it would be easy to break out of his hold, but stopped himself from doing so, instead turning moody eyes upon his best friend.

"I just mopped in here, so don't create another mess. Do you know how hard blood is to clean up?"

Scowling, Draco couldn't help wonder how many times Harry had been made to clean up blood, his _own_ blood, after a run in with his uncle. His scowl deepened and he shot a threatening look to the Dursleys before allowing Harry to tug him upstairs by the hand.

"I was so tempted to just let you go at him, but that would make us as bad as them."

Sighing, Draco reluctantly nodded his agreement.

...

After Harry had finished the house, he'd been ordered to do the front and back gardens. That was where he was now, bent over a flowerbed, the sun burning overhead, its rays beating down on his back and torso after he'd surrendered to the heat and removed his shirt. Draco was at the other end of the garden painting the bench. Harry had insisted that he'd do all the jobs, that it wasn't Draco's work to do, but the blonde had ignored him.

Draco looked up over the arm of the bench, pushing his shoulder length silvery hair out of his eyes. His gaze landed on Harry and he temporarily forgot the task he was doing. Harry was half an hour in the sun away from glowing, his tan skin clinging onto the sunlight, darkening half a shade, giving him an almost exotic look. He was thin, having lost weight from not eating enough at the Dursley's, despite Draco's best efforts. But that wasn't the first thing Draco had noticed. Wiry, leanly muscled arms lead to strong shoulders and a hard, bronze chest. As much as he hated seeing all the old scars and injuries that littered Harry's body, he could also see them as battle wounds, showing how strong the younger boy was, and from that viewpoint they held a strange beauty. As he bent lower to pull up a weed, Draco watched the muscles move over his back and flat, toned stomach. He couldn't help but stare at the way his arms flexed as he tugged at the plant.

Harry sighed, throwing the weed to the ground and turned to face Draco, a self-conscious look in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his narrow hips almost defensively. "Yeah, I know, I'm a scrawny git, I'll try and eat more, okay?"

The blonde shook himself out of his reverie, his Tutela's words sinking in. "That...that wasn't why I was..." He broke off, shaking his head again and returning to the bench.

...

Harry cheered in delight, adding the last sugared violet to his masterpiece. He knew it was over the top but he really didn't care. Boredom had driven him to make a pudding to be proud of, and he had to admit, he was rather proud. He had no idea what his creation was called but even his uncle couldn't complain about the huge dish of fruits, chunks of sponge, meringue, various sauces and half a can of whipped cream. The other half would have gone in too, if Draco hadn't fiddled with the stove settings, nearly burning the vegetables for the dinner, and consequently received a faceful of cream as punishment. He pulled his clinging T-shirt away from his body in memory as he mock glared at Draco for the water he'd thrown in retaliation. He laughed as Draco scraped his fingers through his long hair, still ending up with a handful of cream even though it must have been the thousandth time he'd performed the action.

At that moment Petunia waltzed in, flapping her arms frantically. "Out! Out! They're here!" she took in their messy appearances with a shudder. "You can have ten minutes in the shower, that's it; we can't have you wasting our water. Don't touch anything; I will not have you dirtying my house."

Draco rolled his eyes as they ran for the stairs, hearing her shout after them, "That's ten minutes between you, not each! And then-"

"We'll be in our room, making no noise and pretending we're not there." They called back.

The two were used to this treatment; at the Dursley's, any time in the shower was a privilege. They took Jay and Frankie up on their offer to use their shower whenever they pleased, but it was nice to be able to head to their own bedroom afterwards.

They ran into the bathroom, eager to get the most out of the measly amount of time they'd been allowed. Sometime last year they'd settled into a routine that allowed them both to shower in record time. Harry went in first, soaping up and washing his hair simultaneously from years of practice. He rinsed off, climbing out of the bathtub as Draco stepped in, doing a silent count down on his fingers.

"Haz?"

Harry lowered his last finger, allowing himself a smug smile before he turned an innocent look to his friend. "Yes?"

"You know...I need to shampoo...and condition...and wash...and we only have a few minutes left..."

The brunette pouted but it soon broke into a crooked smile as he got back into the shower, grabbing the shampoo bottle on the way.

This had become part of their routine. Last year it had been discovered that Draco couldn't get the hang of quick showers, especially as he always insisted on a full hair care regime. The first time he'd asked Harry to wash his hair for him, it had been awkward and his Tutela had blushed for almost a week straight, but when they realised it was the only practical way to get them both showered in time, they'd quickly swallowed their pride. Before long they were as comfortable around each other as they were in any other situation, even making it a bit of a running joke between them.

"You really don't need to ask me to wash your hair every time, I have started to get used to you being such a pampered ponce."

Draco huffed indignantly, swatting Harry in the face with a soapy sponge. "There's nothing wrong with looking after your hair! But I guess you wouldn't know about that, huh, bird nest head?"

Harry scrunched his face up, bubbles tickling his nose. "Hey, I can't see what I'm doing with soap in my eyes; I might not rinse all the conditioner out properly!" He grinned at the look of terror on his best friend's face as the threat sunk in. "Anyway, focus on getting the rest of you clean, stinky."

"Malfoy's never stink, I'll have you know, we're bred that way."

Harry inwardly had to agree with that one, but refused to admit it. He switched off the shower, flicking the lingering droplets of water on his fingers into Draco's face, making a quick escape before the blonde could retaliate.

Draco scowled, simultaneously reaching for the towels, launching one in the general direction of the brunette's head. "Come on then, birthday boy." He let out a sudden bark of laughter, startling Harry.

"What?"

"It's your birthday."

Harry gave him a 'you've lost it' look. "I am aware..."

"No, no, it's just...you're in your birthday suit...on your birthday." A childish gleam shone in his silver eyes.

Closing his own eyes, Harry begged for the willpower it would take to not laugh along with the blonde. "Immature much? If you're the witty, ex-Ravenclaw, reliably responsible one of our group, Merlin help the rest of us."

Draco smirked, shoving Harry butt naked out onto the landing, laughing harder as he shrieked, wrapping the towel in his hands hastily around his waist, eyes darting round just in case anyone had seen him.

"Yes, that really proved your level of maturity, Dray." He said snidely, jutting his hip out as Draco came up beside him, shoving his Angel into the wall, running away with a giggle before he could seek revenge.

Sticking his foot out, Draco easily caught the fleeing boy around the ankle, sending him tumbling forward. He caught him in his strong arms before he could face-plant the floor, easily throwing him over his shoulder into a fireman's carry. Harry erupted into another fit of giggles that proved to be contagious as Draco soon joined in the laughter.

"Tell you what, Haz, fuck it." Draco said to his Tutela as he carried him to their bedroom. "Let's get out of here...just for the night, before you start worrying. I want you to have a special birthday so let's sneak out, grab some food, and do whatever you want to do."

"That...that sounds so good." A warm, gleeful smile played in his voice. "We haven't actually had any dinner, have we?"

Draco nuzzled his head against Harry's side, long damp hair ticking the brunette's bare skin. "Or lunch. It's worrying how easily you skip meals or just forget to eat."

Harry was about to reply when Draco opened the door to their room and gasped in shock. He awkwardly swung his head round, trying to see what had stopped the blonde in his tracks.

There was a little creature on the bed with large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.

A tension filled silence descended upon the room, the only sound coming from Harry being gently put back onto his feet.

"_Dobby_?"

Harry stared at his best friend incredulously. "You – you know...this...person?"

The creature looked straight past him, locking fearful eyes onto Draco. "Master? Master Draco Malfoy, sir?"

"Dobby...Dobby what are you doing here?" A horrified look flashed in his gray eyes and in less than a second the small creature was pinned to the bed by a pale hand around its throat, Draco's other hand aiming his wand straight at its face, having snatched it off the dresser. "Did father order you to find me?"

"No, no sir, Dobby so sorry sir." Fat tears began to well in its eyes. "Dobby here to speak to Harry Potter, sir, Dobby did not know Harry Potter and master were...were..."

Draco sighed, "Haz, this is Dobby. He's a house-elf at Malfoy Manor. He's always been more trouble than he's worth though, so him being here..."

"May Dobby ask why master Draco Malfoy is here, sir? Does...does master Draco Malfoy sir want to – want to harm Harry Potter, sir?"

"No." Draco stated curtly, almost cruelly. He missed the surprised look shot at him by Harry. "And it'd do you good to remember your place, Dobby." He crossed the room, dropping heavily onto the bed. He grabbed the change of clothes he'd laid out, roughly pulling them on. "And why are _you_ here, Dobby?"

The house-elf had squeaked when Draco had sat down and was now cowering against the headboard. "No, no, Dobby can't, Sir, Dobby been bad." He suddenly stood, running to the wall and proceeded to thud his head against it loudly, "Dobby...can't...disobey...Malfoys..." He didn't relent in his self punishment until he was pulled away by strong arms.

The Angel pinned Dobby's arms behind his back and clapped a hand over his wailing mouth. "Silence!"

Harry stared at his best friend in complete shock. He had never known Draco to use that tone of voice before without an extremely good reason. To hear his Angel speak so cruelly to what looked like a harmless, pitiful creature seemed so wrong.

Looking up, Draco saw the look on Harry's face and softened his expression. "House-elves are servants. They live to serve. It is their very nature to obey and fulfil the wishes of the family they serve. It may seem inhumane, but give these lot free will and they don't tend to survive very long." He jutted his chin to Dobby. "But this one has always been different; loud and rude, and always getting into some sort of trouble. You have to be very specific with his orders or it never ends well."

"Okay...I get it. But what is he doing here?"

Dobby sniffled, bowing his head. "Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him..._Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts_."

"Why?" Draco asked before Harry could even comprehend what had been said.

"Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

Harry mechanically tugged on some clothes, his brain snapping into focus. "Why?"

"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

Draco let the elf go, but kept his wand at the ready. He wasn't going to be unprepared if it did all turn into some sort of trap. "How do you know this? What's the plan?" He grabbed Dobby by the arm before he could even attempt to start bashing his head again. "Okay, you can't say."

"Thank you for your warning, Dobby, but I'll be perfectly fine at Hogwarts." Harry said in a neutral tone. He still wasn't quite sure about the little elf and didn't want to say anymore until he and Draco were in privacy. "If that's all, do you need to get back before you're missed at Malfoy Manor?"

Razor sharp, inhuman eyes caught the barest glimpse of guilt in the elf's eyes and Draco pinned him with a glare. "Dobby, what have you done?"

Stepping nimbly away from the two wizards, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing and the twin's untidy scrawl.

"You...you stole my post!" Harry shrieked, making a grab for the creature. He knew it had been weird that he hadn't heard from his friends.

As his fingertips were mere inches away from grabbing the loose pillowcase, the elf disappeared with a whip-like crack.

Draco's head swivelled to the door, sensitive ears zeroing in to the lower part of the house. "He's downstairs!"

Both boys launched out onto the landing, jumping the stair's banister to land with cat-like grace in the downstairs hallway.

Dobby was at the dining room door and to their horror they saw Harry's masterpiece pudding floating in the air above the oblivious heads of the Dursleys and their guests.

"Dobby...I swear...drop that and you're dead."

"Dobby, put that back, that's an order!" Draco whispered furiously, not daring to raise his voice in case he attract the attention of the dinner party.

The house-elf gave them a tragic look. "Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school."

"No. And don't you dare, I spent fucking hours on that..." He broke of as the pudding bowl was released and sent tumbling down. "...thing."

It impacted in the dead centre of the table with a deafening crash, splattering the entire room with various sugary substances. A second later, the house-elf vanished.

Vernon stood in a fit of rage, thundering for the door as Petunia rushed the guests through to the living room. He grabbed Harry by the collar on his way past, easily lifting the boy of his feet and hauling him by the throat into the kitchen. He threw him bodily in the direction of the table, Harry's tiny frame hitting the surface and sliding across, crashing to the floor on the other side. When it didn't hurt as much as it should of, he realised Draco had placed a cushioning charm beneath him just in time.

Draco rushed past the large man, running to Harry's side.

"Stay down, freak, or I swear you'll be flayed to within an inch of your life." Vernon threatened in a deadly whisper.

Draco launched upwards, landing in a low crouch on top of the kitchen table. He went to throw himself at the man but Vernon had managed to take a step backwards. Draco hesitated, knowing that if he attacked now, they'd both end up in the middle of the living room, surrounded by the muggle guests.

"Vernon!" Petunia's high shriek resonated through the house. She hurried out of the living room, whisper-shouting so as not to be overheard by the Masons. "An owl just arrived, flapping around our heads! Mrs. Mason's fainted! But it brought a letter, guess what it says? It says that the freaks used underage magic, and if they do it once more they'll be expelled!"

Vernon turned to the two boys, a truly evil glint in his eyes. "So you two can't use magic here?" He came towards them, baring his teeth like a bulldog. His eyes locked on Harry. "Well, I've got news for you, boy...I'm locking you up...and-"

During his raged speech, Draco had scooped Harry up into his arms and he now ran at the Dursleys, fully intent on destroying them both.

Harry grabbed his shoulder weakly, speaking in a broken voice. "Leave them, there's people in the house, we'll get in trouble."

Draco stopped mid-step, confused, for once uncertain of what to do.

"Run, Draco."

The blonde looked down at the boy in his arms, unintentionally having his blind eye to the door. His head snapped up at a heavy footfall, seeing Vernon about to bear down on them like a tonne of bricks.

"_Run_, Draco!"

The Angel barrelled out of the kitchen, heading straight to the front door. A hand grabbed his shirt but he kept going, feeling the material rip. Not having time to open the door he kicked it, relieved as it gave way. Never slowing in his pace he kept running out of the house, quickly being swallowed by the night.

...

"You okay, Darl?"

"No."

The two wizards were in a children's park, perched on top of a canopy style wooden roof that sheltered a climbing frame. Draco was cross legged with Harry in his lap, and in turn a pizza box was haphazardly balanced across the brunette's knees.

"I hate that fucking elf." Harry elaborated, "I mean, what did he think he would achieve by ruining a pudding? A pudding that had a lot of hard work put into it." He bit angrily into a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Draco let out a strained chuckle. "For as long as I've known him he's been hard work."

Harry sat in silent thought for a moment before speaking his mind aloud. "Do you think we should listen to his warning, though? He was quite set on keeping me from school."

"You honestly think you'd be safer at the Dursley's than at Hogwarts? Besides, I bet it's not anymore danger than you're used to being in just by just being you, anyway." He tightened his arm around the younger boy reassuringly. Even though it'd be the millionth time he'd asked, he couldn't help but say, "And you're sure you're not hurting anywhere?"

In response, a piece of pizza was shoved towards his mouth, affectively shutting him up.

"Stop worrying, you know I'm fine, so shut up and let's enjoy the rest of my birthday."

Sharp, molten silver eyes landed on a small smudge of tomato sauce at the corner of Harry's mouth. He looked away, ignoring it. "Sorry it hasn't been the greatest of birthdays for you."

Harry snorted, "Actually, as far as my birthdays go, this is pretty much up there, at least in the top three. And we've actually ended up doing what we wanted." He tapped the blonde on the end of the nose, running a finger over the brow that was furrowed in confusion. "You don't remember? What happened to 'let's sneak out, grab some food, and do whatever you want to do'?"

The blonde smiled warmly, but cursed himself as his eyes were once again drawn to that blob of red. He forced himself to look away. "You're right, in a way, and I guess the run for our lives, grab a pizza and hide out in the park is a much more thrilling version than the original." They shared a look that said more than a thousand words ever could.

Against his will, Draco's eyes slid down to the younger boy's mouth. He told himself to ignore it again, but after a moment he knew he was fighting a losing battle. "Darl, you've got sauce on your cheek. It's annoying me."

Laughing at him, Harry swiped at his face, completely missing it. He tried a second time when Draco let out a frustrated huff but was again unsuccessful.

"No...look, just...here." Quickly learning that pointing at it wasn't going to help, Draco reached out, swiping a thumb over the temporary bane of his existence.

Harry watched as Draco brought the thumb up to pale, cubid's bow lips, licking the sauce off the digit with small, cat-like motions.

Draco looked up, getting the uneasy feeling that he was being stared at. "What?" He let out a groan of frustration when he took in his Tutela's face. "Damn, it smudged, there's still a little..."

Shoving him playfully, Harry let out a small giggle. "If it bothers you that much just lick the bloody stuff off!"

He had no idea what possessed him to do it, he knew Harry hadn't been serious, but all the same, he slowly lowered his head until he was close enough to feel the other's breath brushing his face. He darted his tongue out suddenly, cleaning off the remaining sauce.

Harry's eyes flew as wide as saucers, shock clear in the emerald depths. He watched as Draco pulled away suddenly, refusing to meet his gaze. He let out a soft giggle, tucking his head into the crook of his Angel's neck so that Draco thought he was oblivious to the faint blush blooming on his pale skin. "You are silly sometimes."

Draco relaxed, glad his moment of insanity had been so easily dismissed. "Just...Ssh." He hushed with a smile, his eyes beginning to focus on the sky directly in front of them. "Oh, Haz, look at that! Isn't it beautiful?"

Turning his head slightly, Harry followed his line of sight, looking out at the setting sun. He let out a relaxed sigh, nodding his agreement. He couldn't help but pick out the exact shade of pink that had coloured Draco's cheeks amongst the hazy array of reds and yellows.

...

_**TBC**_

_**Onyx Claws~#**_


End file.
